The Dare
by live-in-dreamland1
Summary: I dare you to kiss him" While waiting at the train station, Caitlyn and Mitchie notice that Shane Grey is standing a few feet away from them. Caitlyn dares Mitchie to walk up to him and kiss him. Does Mitchie go through with it?
1. Chapter 1

**So i got this idea while watching tv and this was part of an ad and i thought it would make a good one shot. Hope you like it. **

**Sorry i haven't updated in ages, ive been sick :(**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

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**The Dare**

Mitchie and Caitlyn were sitting at the train station waiting for a train that would take them into the city where they were going to see a Christmas parade. Of course they were going hours before so that they could do a little bit of shopping also. Mitchie and Caitlyn lived in a small country town outside the city so they weren't able to go very often.

"I heard Connect 3 is going to be part of the parade this year" Caitlyn said as she stretched out her legs. Mitchie smiled.

"I hope so and can you believe that we have tickets to their show next month?"

"I can't wait for that!" Caitlyn squealed. "Front row seats here we come"

"How awesome would it be to meet them?" Mitchie said, drifting off into thought.

"That would be a dream come true" Caitlyn said. Both girls looked at each other before they started to laugh.

"We're such fan girls" Mitchie said through her laughs. Caitlyn looked at Mitchie for a moment before both girls started to smile. Mitchie took out her phone and selected one of their favourite songs.

_**I am what I am**_

_**I can't help myself**_

_**And if you don't like it**_

_**Get with somebody else**_

_**I'll never change my ways**_

_**It's not a phase**_

_**This is how it is and this is how it's gonna stay**_

_**Because**_

_**I am what I am I know what I'm not**_

_**I'm not the type of guy**_

_**That doesn't know how good he's got it**_

_**And I won't back down**_

_**Won't come around**_

_**Saying that I changed cause**_

_**That's not how it's going down**_

_**And I know (I know, I know)**_

_**Wherever I go (I go, I go)**_

_**I know where I stand**_

_**I am what I am**_

_**Hey! Hey!**_

_**I am what I am**_

_**Hey! Hey!**_

Both girls sung the lyrics without a care about who heard them. Both girls were laughing loudly until Mitchie looked over Caitlyn's shoulder and abruptly stopped laughing. Caitlyn also stopped and looked at Mitchie.

"What is it?" Caitlyn asked, her tone worried. Mitchie said nothing but merely pointing further down the platform. Caitlyn followed Mitchie's finger and literally stopped breathing for there, standing on his own and away from everyone else was THE Shane Grey from Connect 3. Caitlyn turned to look at Mitchie with wide eyes.

"Oh my gosh!" they said in a quiet whisper.

"How much do you want to bet that he heard us singing to one of his older songs?" Caitlyn asked, wincing a little as she thought about it.

"There's no way that he wouldn't have heard it" Mitchie said. Caitlyn nodded before she suddenly started to smirk at Mitchie.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Mitchie asked slowly, dreading whatever was going to come out of Caitlyn's mouth.

"I dare you to walk up to Shane Grey and kiss him"

"WHAT?" Mitchie screamed. She quickly closed her mouth and looked around, blushing when she saw Shane Grey looking in their direction with an amused look on his face. Turning back to Caitlyn, Mitchie continued in a softer tone, "I can't just walk up to Shane Grey and kiss him. I would get arrested!" Mitchie said. Caitlyn laughed at this while Mitchie glared at her. "Why don't you go over there and kiss him?" she asked.

"Because I know that you are the one with the crush on Shane. I prefer Nate"

"So if I was Nate here instead of Shane, you would walk up to him and kiss him?" Mitchie asked with a smirk. Caitlyn smiled and nodded her head.

"Absolutely. Hey everyone can say that they met their favourite celebrity but not many can say that they kissed them" Caitlyn could see that Mitchie was thinking about doing it.

"What do I get if I actually go through with this?" Mitchie asked. Caitlyn opened her mouth to answer but was stopped when she felt water hit her face. Both girls looked up to the sky to see that it was starting to rain. Caitlyn looked back at Mitchie.

"What you get is the memory of kissing your celebrity crush in the most romantic way possible" Caitlyn said laughing as she wrapped her arms around herself and spun around. "Come on, you do it and I will shout you lunch today and I will buy you Connect 3's new CD" she bargained. Mitchie sighed.

"Fine I'll do it but if I get arrested I'm taking you down with me" Mitchie threatened as she slowly started to walk towards Shane Grey. Her wet bangs now stuck to her face and her hair had turned a darker colour. One more glance back at Caitlyn gave Mitchie enough encouragement to continue walking. She had come up with a pretty good reason for walking up to him in the first place and hoped that he would buy it.

"Um... ex...excuse me?" Mitchie asked in a small voice once she had reached him.

"Yes?" Shane asked and Mitchie could see that he was confused as to why she was here.

"I was just wondering if you could give me some directions. My friend and I are going into the city today and we don't exactly know where we are going"

"And you think that I'm going to be able to help you?" he asked. Mitchie wished that he would take off his sunglasses.

"Well you seem like the type of guy who knows their way around the city"

"Sorry but this will be my first time in this city" Shane said making a move to walk away. Mitchie had to think quickly.

"Wait!" she said, reaching out to grab his wrist. She could hear Shane sigh.

"Anything else I can help you with?" he asked. Mitchie opened and closed her mouth a few times before leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to Shane's lips. She pulled away a second later and ran back to Caitlyn leaving Shane there with a stunned expression on his face.

**XXXXXXXX**

"That was freaking awesome" Caitlyn said once Mitchie had returned. Mitchie just smiled at Caitlyn as she rung some of the water out of her hair. It didn't help much as the rain continued to fall. At that moment the train pulled into the station. The girls quickly got on and found two spare spots.

"I can't believe you actually did that" Caitlyn said as they sat down.

"I can't believe I did that either" Mitchie said, bringing her fingers up to trace her lips. Shane Grey had officially stolen her first kiss.

"Did you see the look on his face as you ran away?" Caitlyn asked through laughs.

"I was running towards you, I don't think I would have wanted to look back" Mitchie said.

"And just think, he may see you in the crowd during the parade" Caitlyn said. Mitchie just smiled. Neither noticed that Shane Grey was on the same carriage as them, watching them from afar and very intrigued with the girl who had suddenly kissed him.

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**Awesome! How was that? Please review it for me. I've got another story that i've started so hopefully i should have the first chapter either up today or tomorrow and more that i just need to finish. **

**Random comment: it was just pouring down rain and now the sun has come out. That's melbourne weather for you..lol. Changes every minute. I want it to rain again though.... we need the water. **

**xx  
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	2. Chapter 2

**So everyone was really wanting another chapter for this story and i finally figured out a way to continue it... and no this is not the last one.. there will be more on the way. I hope its ok... its more so Shane's take on things towards the end and then the next chapter will be more in the city with both points of view... i think...lol**

**Anyway... i hope you like this. And i just want to tell everyone coz im excited... I HAVE ABOUT 10 WEEKS LEFT OF SCHOOL EVER!!! woo.... im almost done...lol. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.  
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**Chapter 2**

Throughout the train ride to the city, Mitchie kept replaying the kiss over in her mind. Did she really just give her first kiss away to Shane Grey?

"I'm hungry" Caitlyn whined. Mitchie laughed at her.

"Caitlyn, you say pretty much say that every minute we're together. When aren't you hungry?"

"Hey, I'm a growing girl here," Caitlyn replied while laughing. "I need to build up my muscles" Mitchie laughed and shook her head at her friend.

"You do know that we're both still wet"

"So we'll make an entrance when we arrive at the city" Caitlyn said.

"That's no problem for you Caitlyn, you always know how to make an entrance" Mitchie said with a smile. Caitlyn laughed at her while Mitchie started to drift back to no less than 10 minutes ago. Ever since she had first heard Connect 3, they had been Mitchie's favourite band. Like every other fan girl out there, Mitchie had multiple posters around her room, every CD they had ever recorded, every concert that she could afford to go to and attempted to watch, read and listen to every single interview of theirs. Of course, Mitchie was also one to admit that she had only ever dreamed of getting kissed by one of the three, preferably Shane. Had anyone told her that when she was 18 that she was going to be dared by her best friend to walk up to said Shane Grey and kiss him, she would have laughed in your face, but now... now Mitchie didn't know what to think. She unconsciously brought her fingers up to trace her lips again.

"Mitchie? Mitch.....MITCHIE!" Caitlyn yelled. Mitchie snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Caitlyn.

"Yes?"

"I've been calling your name for like 5 minutes. Where did you wander off to?" Caitlyn asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I was just thinking" Mitchie replied. Caitlyn's smile widened.

"Thinking about a certain rock star are you?" she teased. Mitchie blushed and smiled. She ducked her head while Caitlyn just laughed at her.

"Tell me you wouldn't be thinking about anyone from Connect 3 if you had just walked up to them and kissed them?" Mitchie retaliated.

"Well I wouldn't know because I haven't kissed any of them, you have" Caitlyn said.

"Yea, because you dared me to do it" Mitchie said as she sat lower down in her seat, her wet hair now starting to return to its natural waves, not sleeky straight as Mitchie had styled it this morning.

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Shane Grey stood still for a moment as he only just realised what had happened. A girl, probably only a year or so younger than he, had come up to him and was asking for directions. He had been watching her and her friend for he had heard them singing very loudly and with surprisingly good voices to one of his much older songs, the more original ones that he and his best friends had written for their first album. They had suddenly stopped singing and seemed to be having a deep conversation before said girl had shouted out in surprise. He had turned away for a few minutes only to find out that she was standing next to him and looked to be really nervous. She had asked for directions and seemed apprehensive to leave after he had told her that he couldn't help her as it was his first time in the city. When she had latched onto his wrist, and asked him to stop, he will admit that he was a little bit annoyed. After asking if there was anything else he could help her with, she looked to be having an internal battle in her mind. Before he could register anything, she had reached up and kissed him. It lasted no more than 3 seconds before she had pulled away and ran back to her friend and standing out of the rain that he had only now noticed.

The sound of the train arriving at the station alerted him back to his senses. He looked over at the girl to see her and her friend quickly enter a carriage near the end of the train. Shane stepped onto the same carriage and stood near a corner, enough to not draw attention to himself but still close enough to be able to listen to the two girls talk.

Tell me you wouldn't be thinking about anyone from Connect 3 if you had just walked up to them and kissed them?" the girl had said, obviously still reeling the memory of what had happened. Even just thinking about it made Shane touch his lips, feeling a small tingle still there.

"Well I wouldn't know because I haven't kissed any of them, you have" the friend said.

"Yea, because you dared me to do it" was the answer came and Shane finally understood why she had kissed him. Both the girls had recognized him through his disguise and one had been dared to approach him and kiss him. He saw no money being exchanged so there was no bet involved.....he thought.

"Come on Mitch; if you didn't do it you would have spent the rest of your life regretting that you let a chance to kiss Shane Grey go by. Cheer up, we're going to the city for the first time in years, we're going to see a Christmas parade in which we will hopefully see Connect 3 and then next month we have tickets to their show in our small country town! How much better can life get right now? Aside from the fact that Christmas is almost upon us"

"You always know how to make me feel better Caitlyn" the girl, now identified as Mitch said to her friend, a sarcastic yet playful tone behind her words. Shane' s phone went off, deterring his attention from the girls to searching for his phone. He failed to notice the two girls turn around at the sound of the noise and gasp in surprise when they realised who was on the same carriage as them.

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**Sorry that its a bit short. I only quickly wrote this tonight because i know people really want it and i wanted to get it started. **

**Is it any good????  
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	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys. I've got another chapter for you. I'm sorry that it is so short but i wanted to get it up quickly. I finally have a small storyline that im going to follow now coz before i had no idea where this would go...lol. Anyway i hope that you like it and im sorry if there are any spelling mistakes that ive skipped.

i hope you like it

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**Chapter 3**

Mitchie and Caitlyn slowly turned back around and sunk lower in their seats.

"He's here" Mitchie whispered, staring ahead of her.

"On this train" Caitlyn also whispered, looking at the same place that Mitchie was.

"On this carriage"

"Only a few feet away from us. Maybe he'll come and talk to you Mitchie" Caitlyn teased.

"Shut up!" Mitchie hissed, sinking lower into her seat.

"Oh come on Mitchie. Nothing is gonna happen to you"

"Says you" Mitchie mumbled. Throughout the rest of the train trip, Mitchie refrained from talking about anything that had happened today and about a certain pop star that was on the same train as them. Halfway through their journey Caitlyn gotten her iPod out and was quietly listening to that. Mitchie changed her position so that she was sitting lengthways across the seat with her back against the window. Pulling her songbook out of her bag, Mitchie started to scribble down words that she could eventually turn into a song.

"Are you writing a new song Mitch?" Caitlyn asked, snapping Mitchie out of her lyrical thoughts.

"Sort of. I'm trying to put what happened today into a song" Mitchie explained as she handed her notebook over to Caitlyn. Caitlyn nodded as she read over the words that Mitchie had been playing with.

"_I don't know how it gets better than this, you take my hand and drag me headfirst fearless_

_If we were a movie, you'd be the right guy and I'd be the best friend that you'd fall in love with in the end_

_Why can't you see, you belong with me'_ These are really good Mitchie" Caitlyn said after reading them out. Mitchie blushed, not all too confident with her musical abilities. "These could be some hit songs. Now all we need to do is get you the record contract" Caitlyn teased. Mitchie laughed and took her book back.

"Cait, you are the only person I ever sing in front of. What makes you think that I would be able to get a record contract? And even if I ever did, I would probably faint before I could sing one note" Mitchie said. Caitlyn sighed. When would Mitchie ever believe her?

"Mitchie, you seriously don't understand just how good you are! I have no doubt that if you ever sung in front of a record company that you would get signed!"

"And that is not going to happen anytime soon so you can stop pretending that it's going to happen tomorrow" Mitchie said as she leant back against the window and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, Mitchie found herself looking in Shane Grey's direction. It seemed as though he was aware that she was looking at him because he suddenly turned his head and Mitchie found her eyes staring straight into his. It only lasted a few seconds as Mitchie blushed and looked away.

"Come on Mitch, our stop is coming up" Caitlyn said as she rose out of her seat. Mitchie followed suit and the two made their way closer to the door.

"Can you believe that in less than three hours we are going to see all of Connect 3?" Mitchie excitedly asked.

"Hey, you've kissed one of them, so you've already had the better end of the deal when it comes to them" Caitlyn said with a laugh.

"It doesn't seem real" Mitchie said. "I keep thinking that it was all one big dream"

"Well wake up honey because you really kissed Shane Grey"

"Why did you have to dare me to do it? Life was so much less complicating than having to deal with kissing a celebrity and knowing that your best friend is going to keep pointing it out every 10 minutes" Mitchie said sarcastically, annoyance clear in her tone. Caitlyn laughed at her.

"Oh come off it Mitchie. You can't just stand there and tell me that you didn't enjoy it"

"I could...." Mitchie said, trailing off a little bit. Caitlyn's face held a smirk.

"But then you would be lying and we know that you hate lying and usually end up giving everything away anyway. Think about it this way, the day that you and your incredibly awesome best friend went to the city to see the parade was one of your most memorably because you got to kiss Shane Grey, your celebrity crush" Mitchie opened her mouth to say something but couldn't find any words to say.

"Come on, here's the station" Caitlyn said as she grabbed hold of one of the bars. Mitchie just stood there glaring at Caitlyn. What she didn't expect was for the train to suddenly stop sending Mitchie falling backwards. A pair of arms shot out to catch her and Mitchie looked up to find herself staring into the eyes she saw all too often on TV and in magazines.

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Yea i know its mean to leave you like that... but yea. Again im sorry that it is so short... i did want it to be longer but hopefully that will be the next chapter :) So what do you think??? please review coz it means a lot to me. I'll try to keep writing... i want to write more now but ive got a 7:30 early class tomorrow morning and its already 12am here. I'll try to write some more at school if i have the chance otherwise it will be this weekend.

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	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it's taken a while to get this chapter up.... the story is coming to me as i write it....lol. Hope you like it! :)

Thank you soooooooo much to everyone who is reviewing this for me. If you have any suggestions for this story.... i'm very open to them

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**Chapter 4**

Mitchie knew that she should have passed out at that moment and hearing Caitlyn's gasp meant that this was really happening. There was no way that she had just been prevented from falling by the arms of Shane Grey.

"Are you okay?" he asked smoothly and Mitchie honestly forgot to breathe. Even though she had heard his voice before, to Mitchie this was entirely different. Realising that she was still in his arms, Mitchie acted quickly to straighten herself up.

"Umm... yea I'm good" she said, silently cursing herself for stumbling over her words. Glancing over at Caitlyn, Mitchie almost laughed at the star-stunned look on her face. The opening of the train doors made both girls jump.

"We've gotta go" Mitchie said quickly as she turned around and grabbed Caitlyn's arm before speeding off the train, trying to escape anymore situations of embarrassing herself. Unfortunately fate had decided that it wasn't going to be nice to Mitchie today as she tripped as soon as she got on the platform and tumbled to the ground. Laughter was quick to escape Caitlyn's lips as Mitchie glared up at her.

"Let me give you a hand there" Shane said as he walked forward towards Mitchie. Mitchie inwardly sighed as she knew it would be rude to ignore his offer to help and reluctantly took his hand, ignoring the sparks in her hand and the sudden shyness that took over her.

"Thanks" she mumbled.

"Can we please get a picture with you" Caitlyn suddenly said, speaking up for the first time. Mitchie narrowed her eyes at her while Shane laughed.

"Sure" he said. He was beginning to like these girls, even though he could tell they were big fans. Caitlyn quickly asked a passerby if they could take the picture for them while Mitchie slowly moved to one side of Shane. Caitlyn quickly walked over to them and Shane wrapped both of his arms around them. Mitchie ignored the butterflies in her stomach as she smiled for the camera.

"Thank you" Caitlyn said to the guy who had taken the picture for them. The guy nodded before continuing on his journey.

"Thanks for that" Mitchie said as Caitlyn came to stand next to her and shoved the camera in Mitchie's face to show her the picture. To Mitchie's surprise it was actually a nice photo, counting out the fact that their clothes were easy to see that they were wet.

"You could totally kiss him again right now" Caitlyn whispered in her ear. Mitchie suddenly started coughing and when Shane made a move to help her again Mitchie held her hand out.

"I'm fine" she said with a smile. Shane just raised an eyebrow at them. "Excuse us for a minute" she said. Mitchie turned around and pushed Caitlyn out of the way a little bit, leaving Shane behind with all their stuff and a confused expression on his face.

"Are you trying to torture me?" Mitchie asked in a fast whisper.

"I was only joking" Caitlyn said as she held her hands up in surrender.

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Shane just watched as the two girls walked away to and started to talk quietly amongst themselves. Looking down, he noticed the camera sitting on top of one of the bags. Picking it up and turning it on, Shane switched to the preview of the picture that had just recently been taken. He had to admit that the picture looked good and both the girls looked incredibly beautiful despite their appearance from the weather. Sneaking a look over at the girls and seeing them still talking to each other, Shane looked back at the camera and started to scroll through some of the pictures. The pictures seemed to have started from today as the girls were wearing the same clothes. They were just taking photo's for the fun of it in someone's room. There were a few different outfits modelled and Shane couldn't help but think that.....Mitchie was it... looked breathtaking in these photos. He continued to scroll until he suddenly stopped. It seemed as though Caitlyn had taken pictures of when Mitchie had approached him. They were talking in this photo and in the next photo; it had been taken at the right moment when Mitchie had spontaneously kissed him. Quickly pressing the button on the camera to send the picture via Bluetooth, Shane sent the picture to his phone. He wanted to put the camera away but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the photo.

"We're back" Caitlyn announced. Shane looked up at the girls and smiled.

"What are you looking at?" Mitchie asked, walking around to stand next to Shane. Shane said nothing as he handed the camera over to Mitchie. He watched as Mitchie glanced at the picture before her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. A very visible blush tainted her cheeks. Caitlyn, interested to see what was making Mitchie blush, moved over to her and looked over Mitchie's shoulders.

"Oh yea, I forgot I took that photo" she said calmly.

"Caitlyn!" Mitchie exclaimed, startling some people walking around the station close to them. Shane couldn't help but laugh at them. Mitchie glared at him. Never in her life would she have thought that she would be glaring at Shane Grey or even talking to him...... even kissing him.

"What?" she shrugged. "I thought it was a good picture and evidently so does Shane"

"How are you so calm about this?" Mitchie asked.

"I just find this whole thing amusing" Shane replied honestly.

"Yea well blame her for daring me to do it" Mitchie mumbled under her breath.

"So....uh... why did you kiss me?" Shane asked. He had heard about it being a dare on the train but he wanted to know the full story. Mitchie suddenly blushed again.

"Well you see we recognised you at the station and Caitlyn decided to be funny and dared me to walk up to you and kiss you. If I did she would buy me lunch today as well as your new CD" Mitchie explained.

"Don't forget the part about you being able to remember your first kiss as being in the rain with none other than Shane Grey" Caitlyn added with a laugh.

"Shut up!" Mitchie hissed. Shane could see that Mitchie was becoming a little uncomfortable after this information was revealed to him. He could tell that she thought she would never have to see him again after kissing him but unfortunately fate wasn't on her side, although maybe this could be a good thing. Quickly stepping up, Shane came up with an idea to make Mitchie more relaxed as well as having an excuse to spend some more time with these girls.

"In an attempt to lighten the mood here, I vote that we get out of this station and go and grab some food. What do you say?" he asked. Mitchie and Caitlyn stared up at him wide-eyed. They obviously were not expecting to spend more time with him.

"Sure" Caitlyn said, answering for the both of them. Their day just got a lot more interesting that originally had been planned.

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I'm sorry that this is pretty short... i'm trying to get them longer. How was it????


	5. Chapter 5

So here is the next part of this story all you awesome people are wanting! I didn't realise that this story would be so popular. There are already over 60 reviews and there are only 4 chapters. You guys are awesome!!!

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**Chapter 5**

"So where are we going exactly?" Caitlyn asked as Shane lead them out of the building.

"You'll have to wait and see" Shane said. He had a feeling that introducing Caitlyn to Nate could probably be a good thing.

"Are you sure we aren't dreaming?" Mitchie quietly asked as Shane walked ahead of them.

"It sure feels like it" Caitlyn replied.

"I can't believe that you took that picture" Mitchie said after a few minutes of silent walking.

"I thought you might like a memory of today" Caitlyn said with a role of her eyes.

"This way ladies" Shane said, causing the girls to stop talking and look up at him.

"This way where?" Mitchie asked. Shane chuckled as he pointed out a large black stretch limo parked a block away from the station. Mitchie and Caitlyn both felt their mouths drop open.

"We're seriously going in that?" Caitlyn asked as the girls willed their feet to move to follow Shane.

"What else would we be going in?" Shane asked with a laugh. He knew that it would be a good idea to stick around with these girls.

"You know, normally when people come to the city they usually would just catch a taxi or walk" Caitlyn said.

"Yea well when you are famous, you get some luxuries" Shane replied.

"So" Mitchie said. "When you drive, the experience isn't the same"

"What do you suggest we do then?" Shane asked stopping in front of the girls.

"Well, what were your plans for the day?" Mitchie asked.

"We have a rehearsal for the Christmas parade at 2 so until then I'm free." Shane said.

"So until then we all have nothing planned until the parade" Caitlyn said. Mitchie smiled before she grabbed both Shane and Caitlyn's hand and stared to lead them in the other direction. Shane looked back at his car and shook his head at the driver signalling that the car wasn't needed.

"Where are we going?" Shane asked.

"Well you said earlier that this was going to be your first time in the city" Mitchie explained and Shane could see the faintest of blushes on her cheeks as she starting talking about earlier. The image of that kiss was still fresh in Shane's mind and he had half a mind to kiss her again but decided against it. He smiled to himself as Mitchie continued to talk. "So today we're going to drag you along to what we were planning on doing today. Just let loose and have some fun until you have to get ready for the parade"

"And what exactly are you plans for today?"

"We never have any set plans. Our only plan for today is to watch the parade but other than that, we do whatever we want to" Caitlyn said, catching onto Mitchie's idea.

"So do any plans including eating?" Shane asked. Mitchie laughed at him as she continued to drag him along.

"Yes, there are plans for eating"

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"This is soo good" Caitlyn said as the trio sat down in the park to eat the food they had just gotten. While taking a walk through the park, Caitlyn had noticed a hot food stand and had suggested that they stop for some food. Shane, being a gentleman had offered to pay for the girls but they had put up a good fight. Eventually Shane had won out and all three had ordered hamburgers with some chips to share in between them and drinks.

"I have to agree there" Shane said as he took a bite into his burger.

"We should definitely try and come into the city more often Cait" Mitchie said as she lay back on the grass after finishing her lunch. Stretching out as the sun hit her skin Mitchie smiled and relaxed. Hearing rustling around her, Mitchie opened her eyes to see that Shane and Caitlyn had taken the leftovers and walked the few meters to the pond to feed the ducks. Mitchie desperately wished that she had her guitar with her. This was the perfect place to write a song...but.... singing in front Caitlyn she could do but in front of Shane Grey... that was a different story. Knowing that they would probably be by the pond for a while, Mitchie turned over onto her stomach and pulled her notebook out of her bag. She inwardly grimaced now at the large sticker of Connect 3 inside the cover. She would never be able to look at Connect 3 in the same way again. Flipping the pages to the song she had started on the song, Mitchie scribbled some new lines down.

_Standing out there in the rain_

_Don't know if I should approach you_

"What are you doing?" Shane's voice cut through her thoughts. Acting fast, Mitchie quickly closed her book and looked up to see Shane.

"Nothing" Mitchie answered with a small smile. Why couldn't she wake up from this dream? Was it a dream? Shane smiled at her as he sat down. He lay down on his back and closed his eyes. Mitchie crossed her arms and rested her head on them, enjoying the feel of the sun on her back.

"I haven't felt this relaxed in so long" he admitted.

"Really?" Mitchie asked with a raised eyebrow. Shane opened his eyes to look at her and nodded.

"Travelling to interviews and various shows and then concerts at night, it can take a lot out of you"

"It's still fun though, isn't it?"

"Absolutely" Shane answered without hesitation. "Years ago we were just a band that played in the garage but now... this is beyond my wildest dreams and I wouldn't trade it for anything" Mitchie smiled as she heard the passion in Shane's voice. How she envied him. Since forever it had been Mitchie's dream to be able to sing her songs to people, for people to sing along with her. She wanted to show young kids that they could follow their dreams if they put their heart into it but Mitchie had yet to follow her own advice. Sure she loved music as much as she loved life but what Mitchie was lacking in was the confidence within herself enough to believe that she could do it.

"Mitchie" Caitlyn called out, causing both Shane and Mitchie to look at her. Caitlyn was standing there with a bunch of daises strung together to make a crown. "Do you remember how often we would make these?" Mitchie smiled as she jumped up and ran over to Caitlyn. Smiling Caitlyn placed the daises on Mitchie's head to match her own crown. The girls suddenly stuck a pose together, going back to back and making a face in a funny attempt to look like a princess. For that moment, the girls forgot their age and forgot who their company was. They were just two girls who treasured each moment together. Erupting in laughter, the girls clung to each other as they remembered the various stories they would make up and the many costumes they would try on.

"Would you like me to take a picture?" Shane asked, startling the girls out of their laughter. They both blushed in embarrassment but nodded none the less. Taking up their original pose back to back and looking in the direction of the camera, the girls smiled brightly before pulling a face. Shane smiled at their childishness, having never met any girl who was so willing to make fools out of themselves for the pure fun of it.

"Come and join in Shane" Caitlyn said, beckoning Shane over to them. Keeping the camera in hand, Shane walked over to them.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You are going to take some pictures with Mitchie" she said after looking back and forth between the two.

"Doing what?" Mitchie said in surprise. Caitlyn smiled at her.

"Well we're going to keep with the theme we have going here." Caitlyn said. For the next hour and a half, Caitlyn had Shane and Mitchie take all sorts of different pictures. Mitchie couldn't remember a time where she had had more fun with Caitlyn.

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"We should probably start heading over to where the rehearsals are soon" Shane said.

"What do you mean we?" Mitchie asked, looking back at Caitlyn before looking at Shane again.

"Do you not want to come?" he asked with a slight smile on his face. Knowing that the girls were Connect 3 fans, he knew that they couldn't possibly pass up an opportunity like this. Besides, he wanted to spend more time with them.

"Of course we want to come!" Caitlyn said.

"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder" Mitchie said to Caitlyn who agreed with her.

"How so?" Shane asked.

"Hello! We never thought that we would ever get to talk to you let alone spend the morning with you and now you've just asked us to come to your rehearsal with you. Tell me how that wouldn't be weird for a fan of your band?" Caitlyn asked.

"You've got a point there"

"Thank you" Caitlyn said with a smug smile. Mitchie just smiled and shook her head at Caitlyn.

"But this time, we're taking the car" Shane said as he pulled his phone out.

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So..... is it meeting your standards? lol I tried to make this chapter longer than the others for you :D

p.s.... anyone who has read bank hiest... i really need some ideas for the sequel.... i have some but not enough for a whole stories. If you have any ideas please send them in to me :) :) :)


	6. Chapter 6

So because all your reviewers are unbelievably awesome!... i have decided to update pretty much the next day! Woo! Be happy because i wrote more than half of this chapter during english today instead of focusing fully on the lesson....lol. I also decided to make this chapter pretty long for you guys and there is a good twist at the end as well.... just came up with that today. Hope you like it!

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**Chapter 6**

The car ride was a lot quieter than Shane expected. He guessed that the girls had never been in a limo before.

"How come you can't be famous now Mitchie" Caitlyn said in a hushed whisper to Mitchie but Shane was still able to hear it. He didn't say anything as he realised that it was probably a private conversation but he did continue to listen in. Hey... he was curious.

"Would you stop that that already? There is no way that is going to happen unless I'm suddenly replaced with some confident person" Mitchie replied also in a hushed whisper.

"Get this through your head woman! You have an amazing voice and you really do have potential to make it big. You just have to believe in yourself that you can do it!"

"Why does it have to be me? Why can't you become the famous one?"

"I am planning on becoming famous thank you very much" Caitlyn said. "Caitlyn Geller, top selling music producer and best friend to Mitchie Torres, singing extraordinaire" Mitchie laughed at this.

"You have a wild imagination" Mitchie mumbled.

"Yes but you still love me" Caitlyn said with a smile.

"So how old are you girls anyway?" Shane asked, breaking into their conversation.

"We're both 18" Caitlyn answered.

"But we have never been known to act our age" Mitchie added with a laugh.

"I believe that much" Shane said. Mitchie held back her smile. During the course of the few hours that she had spent with Shane, her celebrity crush on him had changed you could say. It was no longer a celebrity crush.... but a normal crush that any girl would have on a guy. Mitchie sighed quietly to herself as she rested her head on the window and tuned out the conversation, her thoughts swimming with her new view on Shane and her ongoing wish of being able to follow her dreams.

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Shane had noticed that Mitchie had become a little silent during the trip. She had a faraway look in her eyes as she stared out the window. A part of him was worried about her but he shrugged it off. He had only known her for a few hours, why would he be worried about her? Then again, Shane had never met girls like these two. They were so normal, the complete opposite to the girls he met in Hollywood and in the celebrity world. He could easily find himself liking them, which in Shane's opinion was dangerous. How was he to know if he would ever meet these girls again after today? He wanted to stay in touch with them though, didn't he? Did he want to get to know Mitchie more after today? Did he want Mitchie to kiss him again? Shane suddenly cut off his line of though.

"_Where did that come from?"_ he asked himself. Looking back at Mitchie, he knew why. Mitchie was a beautiful girl who was pretty calm around him despite the fact that she was a big fan. He had never had this much fun with a girl before and after listening into their conversation before, he could tell that both girls were big on music.

"Where are we?" Caitlyn asked once the car had finally stopped. Shane said nothing as he stepped out of the car and held the door open for the girls.

"We have to find someplace where no-one would find us" he explained. Mitchie looked up at the old warehouse and could understand. Who would want to come here of their own free will? It was creepy.

"You sure know how to pick them" Mitchie commented, stilling looking up at the warehouse.

"Shall we?" Shane asked, offering both his arms to the girls with a playful smile. Both girls smiled as they took Shane's arm and walked with him towards the door.

"Nate, Jason" Shane called out once they were in the house.

"Oh my gosh" Caitlyn said very quietly. Mitchie looked at Caitlyn with wide eyes.

"What is it?" Shane asked, looking back and forth between both girls. Hearing Nate and Jason walking towards them, he had a feeling he knew what had made them speechless.

"Hey Shane...." Jason greeted, trailing off when he saw the girls.

"What's going on?" came Nate's voice. He also stopped when he noticed the girls. "Who are they?"

"Long story" Shane said. "This is Mitchie and Caitlyn"

"Hey" Jason said while Nate just nodded in their direction. He was curious as to why they were here.

"H...hi" Mitchie said.

"Hey" Caitlyn said slowly. She knew that she had to be dreaming right about now. There was no way that she and Mitchie were in the same room as all of Connect 3.

"So how did these girls end up with you?" Jason asked, seating himself on one of the couches in the room. Shane looked over at Mitchie who had gone an intense shade of red and Caitlyn who was laughing silently beside her.

"Mitchie and Caitlyn were on the same train as me and when the train pulled up at the station, Mitchie fell back so I reacted and caught her and when they stepped off the train Mitchie tripped so I helped her up and we got talking and yea.... it just followed on from there" Shane explained. Looking at Mitchie he could see the thankful look on his face. Nate looked between the three of them and knew that there was something missing from the story as one girl was blushing and refused to look anywhere except the ground and the other girl was laughing at her friend silently. Looking back at Shane, Nate raised his eyebrows. Shane mouthed that he would tell him later.

"Would Connect 3 please come to the rehearsal room" a voice called out.

"That's us boys" Jason said as he stood up.

"This way ladies" Shane said, gesturing the way for the girls to go. Mitchie and Caitlyn snapped out of their reverie and followed Jason down the hall. Nate hung back with Shane.

"So what really happened today?" Nate asked in a low whisper. Shane looked up at the girls to see that they weren't in hearing range and that Jason had slowed down to talk to them. He turned back to Nate.

"I was waiting at the station to get to the city and I noticed the girls there because they were dancing and singing along to one of our songs. Anyway next thing I know is that the girl with the brown hair was standing next to me and asking for directions. She was really nervous and I had a feeling that she knew who I was even with the disguises. Before she walked away, she kissed me"

"She kissed you?" Nate asked with a surprised expression on his face. Shane nodded.

"Yea, she just kissed me. I later found out that it was a dare but yea"

"So is that why one of the girls was blushing when we asked how you knew them?"

"She has kind of avoided the topic all day"

"I wonder why?" Nate said sarcastically. Shane playfully shoved him to the side as they continued to walk. As they walked into the room where the rehearsal was going to be, Shane suddenly stopped walking. His eyes immediately fell upon Mitchie who was sitting by Jason who was playing something for the girls on his guitar. Caitlyn leant over and whispered something to Mitchie who smiled at her before turning her attention back to Jason. Shane couldn't help but notice her hands, which seemed to be imitating Jason's in making chords. Did Mitchie play guitar also?

"Sing along Mitchie" Shane heard Caitlyn say. Mitchie immediately shook her head while Jason just smiled at her.

"We'll sing with you" Jason said, nodding his head in Caitlyn's direction. Shane snuck a look in Nate's direction and saw that he was watching the scene in front of them with amusement. He obviously wasn't planning on the girls acting so normal around them and the fact that they were spending time with Jason made him smile. Jason didn't get as much attention as he and Nate did.

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"Please Mitch" Caitlyn pleaded. Mitchie looked back and forth between Caitlyn and Jason and sighed.

"Fine" she said. No one was aware that Shane and Nate were watching them. Caitlyn squealed and clapped her hands before launching herself at Mitchie and attacking her with a fierce hug. The full force of the hug sent Mitchie flying backwards laughing. Caitlyn laughed as she sat back up straight.

"Thanks Cait" Mitchie said sarcastically.

"Get over it" Caitlyn said with a smile.

"You two girls are unlike any other girls I've ever met" Jason said, causing the girls to look up at him.

"Is that a good thing?" Caitlyn asked. Jason nodded.

"That's a very good thing. Now are we going to sing a song or what?" Caitlyn and Mitchie laughed and nodded their heads. "Choose a song girls"

"Turn Right" Caitlyn quickly said. Mitchie looked at her while Caitlyn shrugged.

"What, I heard you singing this song one day in your room before I came over you sounded amazing"

"Who wants to start?" Jason asked. He was really enjoying spending time with these girls. They definitely made him feel like part of the band.

"Can you start?" Mitchie asked in a small voice. She couldn't deny that she was nervous. Jason smiled before he started the opening chords.

_Pick up all your tears  
Throw em in your backseat  
Leave without a second glance_

Caitlyn smiled at Mitchie before joining in the rest of the verse.

_Somehow I'm to blame_

_For this never-ending racetrack you call life_

Nodding encouragingly to Mitchie, Mitchie smiled before she started on the chorus.

_Turn right_

_Into my arms_

_Turn right_

_You won't be alone_

_You might_

_Fall off this track sometimes_

_Hope to see you on the finish line_

Her voice blended in perfectly with Caitlyn and Jason's that you almost couldn't distinguish it. As the three started on the chorus, Caitlyn looked over at Jason and sent him a look to softly stop singing along. Nodding, Jason continued to play while both girls sung.

_Driving all your friends  
At a speed they cannot follow  
Soon you will be on your own  
Somehow I'm to blame  
For this never-ending racetrack you call life_

All the boys were stunned at the voices these girls had. Both girls started on the chorus but eventually Caitlyn faded out leaving only Mitchie's voice with the guitar

_Turn right (turn right)  
Into my arms  
Turn right (turn right)  
You won't be alone  
You might (you might)  
Fall off this track sometimes  
Hope to see you at the finish line  
_

Mitchie blushed as she finished the chorus Caitlyn and Jason only smiled at her before they all picked up on the bridge.

_I did all I could  
And I gave  
Everything  
But you had to go your way  
And that road was not for me_

Together they all finished off the song strongly. Mitchie closed her eyes and thought of nothing except the song.

_Turn right  
Into my arms  
Turn right  
You won't be alone  
You might (you might)  
Fall off this track sometimes  
Hope to see you at the finish line_

"Wow" Caitlyn said once the song was finished. Mitchie couldn't make her mouth form any words. She could not believe that she had just done that.

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Shane was speechless after hearing the girls sing.

"That was pretty good" Nate said quietly. He looked over at Shane after getting no response to see that Shane was looking at Mitchie. "Dude" he said, snapping his fingers in front of Shane's face.

"What?" Shane asked, tearing his eyes away from Mitchie to look at Nate.

"You have to stop looking at her"

"I can't help it" Shane admitted. "Mitchie is unlike any other girl I've met"

"And what about Monica?" Shane inwardly cringed at the name of his girlfriend. He had forgotten about her after the events of today. "She's not going to be too happy with you after she hears about today" Nate said. Shane quickly spun around to face Nate.

"Monica is not going to know about what happened today"

"She will find out eventually. She finds out about everything" Nate said, mumbling the last part.

"Look, if she asks, just say that I met the girls at the station and they helped me escape from some fans and in return, I invited them to spend the day with us as they were already coming to see us perform"

"Your decision man" Nate said before walking over to where the others were. Shane let out a groan once Nate was out of earshot. How on earth could he have forgotten about his girlfriend?

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Bit of a cliffhanger there...lol. I needed something else to make this interesting. Please don't hate me!


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey Guys. Sorry its taken me a while to update. I've had sooo many SAC's this week. I've still got another three over the next 2 days... which should be fun...lol. Sorry that this chapter is a little short.... kinda figuring out where the plot should go from here.... i'm getting somewhere. :) Hope you like it!**

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**Chapter 7**

Monica. Mitchie. Monica. Mitchie. Those two names kept swirling around in Shane's head. How was he going to be able to concentrate now?

"Connect 3 to the stage please. We want to get through this rehearsal quickly and then head straight out to get ready for the parade" a voice called out from within the room by the sound desk.

"Come on boys" Jason called as he stood up on the stage and started to fix his guitar up. The girls moved away from the stage and found some place to sit down.

"Do you think we're ever going to get to do this again?" Caitlyn asked as they watched the boys set up.

"I'd love to" Mitchie said as she looked around the room. Looking back at the boys, she couldn't help the small feeling of jealousy that she felt towards them. They had the courage to pursue their dreams and they had done it. They were able to do what the love every day.

"What are you thinking about Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie jumped and turned to look at Caitlyn who was smirking at her.

"I'm not thinking about Shane if that is what you are wondering" Mitchie replied. "I just wish that I believed in myself enough to be able to perform and share my songs with everyone"

"Isn't it enough that I believe in you?" Caitlyn asked with a smile. Mitchie laughed. The girls said nothing else as the sounds of a guitar filled the room. For the next hour or so the girls watched the boys go through the songs that they would be playing during the parade.

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"So what did you girls think?" Jason asked once the rehearsal had finished and the group was heading back outside to the car. Mitchie and Caitlyn just followed as they had no idea what to do.

"Mitchie was pretty much jealous the whole time" Caitlyn said quickly.

"Caitlyn!" Mitchie exclaimed as she glared at her best friend.

"What?" Caitlyn shrugged. "It's true"

"Why were you jealous?" Nate asked. Mitchie suddenly started to blush and look away.

"Well it was becau-" Caitlyn was suddenly prevented from talking again as Mitchie had come up beside and placed her hand over her mouth.

"Must we be telling everything about my life today?" Mitchie asked, temporarily forgetting that the boys were watching the scene with amusement. Caitlyn didn't say anything except licked Mitchie's hand. Mitchie squealed and yanked her hand back.

"Serves you right" Caitlyn said with a smirk.

"You are disgusting"

"And you're frustrating"

"And you don't know how to keep your mouth shut"

"And you know that I'm right" Caitlyn said, knowing that she had put an end to the argument. Mitchie opened her mouth to say something but knew that Caitlyn was right.

"Are you girls right?" Nate asked slowly. All three guys were scared to get in between the girls, thinking that they were going to suddenly scream out that they hated each other and walk away. Caitlyn turned to the guys with a smile.

"Everything's fine. This is normal between us"

"So umm... what are we doing now?" Mitchie asked, desperate for a change in the topic but unfortunately the boys weren't letting go that easily.

"First you tell us why you were jealous," Jason said with a smile. "Then we can head over to the parade" Mitchie groaned while Caitlyn laughed.

"You can't get out of this now Mitch. Would you rather I explain it for you or are you alright to do it?"

"You can do it" Mitchie mumbled, hiding her face from everyone as they continued to walk down the hallway.

"Mitchie was jealous because you are doing what she really wants to do; perform"

"You should come and sing with us one day then" Nate said with a smile. Mitchie's head snapped up to look at Nate.

"What?" she asked.

"You should come and sing with us. We're always looking for background singers for our albums and we can have a test run with you if you want. Just spend a day in the studio to see how it sounds" Nate explained.

"Are you serious?" Mitchie asked, not believing what she was hearing. Caitlyn too even seemed shocked at this announcement. The boys laughed.

"We're serious" Shane said. "We heard you singing before and that was pretty awesome" Mitchie honestly felt like she couldn't breathe. Right in front of her were they offering Mitchie the chance she had always dreamed of getting. She didn't even notice the tears that had started to gather in her eyes until Jason pointed them out.

"Are you crying?" he asked. Mitchie laughed and shook her head before hugging each of the boys.

"You really don't know how much this means to me that you would even consider me" Mitchie said.

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn squealed. Mitchie laughed loudly as she spun around to face Caitlyn. The girls hugged each other tightly and jumped up and down, screaming as well. The boys just watched on.

"These girls are cool" Nate said quietly.

"Where did you say you met them?" Jason asked. Shane smiled as he looked at Mitchie.

"I met them at the train station"

"I wonder where they are from." Jason wondered.

"I'm not sure. All I know is the station I met them at, which was in a small country town" Shane said.

"Do you think they would have a recording studio there?" Nate asked.

"Only one way to find out" Shane said as he looked at the girls.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The girls moment was broken by the sounds of the boys calling them.

"Hey Mitchie" Shane asked.

"Yea?" Mitchie asked a little breathlessly after the jumping. Caitlyn was leaning on her and also catching her breath.

"Is there by any chance a recording studio near your house?"

"Sure" Mitchie answered. "It's pretty small but we have one. I work there"

"You working tomorrow?" Nate asked with a smile. Both girls shook their heads. "So what do you say that tomorrow we head out there and work on some songs?"

"That would be awesome" Mitchie said, still not believing that this day was actually happening.

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**So i hope that you liked that :)**

**sorry if it is a bit rushed... but im working on like three stories at once and i want to get them all updated and published quickly :) **

**xoxo  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am back with another chapter of the night but of a different story lol. I hope that this one doesn't seem too rushed but i needed to get this part out of the way before more stuff can happen... like Monica coming into the story... which will be soon. :)**

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**Chapter 8**

The next few hours went by as a blur for Mitchie and Caitlyn. The boys had dragged the girls along to the venue where the floats for the parade were starting up. After setting up and sound checking the instruments on the float Jason had treated everyone some snacks and had asked one of the assistants to bring Caitlyn and Mitchie some new clothes so that they could feel more comfortable. The girls had denied but the boys left them no choice. Thanking the boys multiple times the girls had changed the clothes which were similar to what they were wearing already and straightened themselves out, mostly reapplying their make-up and fixing their hair. Caitlyn had gotten frustrated with her wild curls and had scooped everything up into a loose bun which looked really good with the small pieces of hair that were framing her face as they had fallen out. Mitchie had left her hair as it was but had combed the knots out of it. After returning to the boys and thanking them once again for the clothes, the group spent the next 10 minutes just getting to know each other.

When the boys were called to get onto their float, they invited the girls to come up with them as they needed people to dance to the music. Caitlyn had agreed for both of them before Mitchie could say anything else.

"Let's get this parade on the road!" one of the directors of the show called out and the first float was sent out onto the street. The deafening screams from the crowd caused Mitchie and Caitlyn to laugh and cover their ears, knowing that they were supposed to be in that crowd today.

"We got the better end of this parade" Caitlyn said with a smile as another float left the room. Mitchie just nodded as she looked around. She noted that there was about another 15 floats to go out before Connect 3's would leave. The time for Connect 3's float to leave the holding area came quickly and Mitchie and Caitlyn quickly stood up from sitting on the side and walked over to where Jason had suggested they stand.

"How do you want us to dance?" Caitlyn asked Nate. Nate smiled widely at her.

"Like you would if you were in your room listening to your favourite song"

"That's not going to be hard for us" Caitlyn said with a laugh.

"How so?" Nate questioned. Caitlyn smiled at him.

"We dance around to your songs all the time" was Caitlyn's answer before the float started to move and for Mitchie and Caitlyn, the parade had officially started. Jason started the opening beats to Play My Music and the crowd went crazy. Mitchie and Caitlyn could not stop laughing as they danced to the songs, forgetting for a fact that they were in a parade in front of more than 1000 people and imagined that they were in Mitchie's room, singing along to the songs and dancing however they wanted to. The girls noticed the jealous stares they were getting from a majority of the girls in the crowd but they failed to notice the stares they were getting from girls from their school.

Mitchie noticed that the crowds seemed to be getting a lot thicker towards the end of the parade run. Police were there to ensure that no-one would get into the warehouse where the floats were headed along with the various celebrities that were part of the parade.

"You guys are amazing" Nate screamed out to the crowd as the float entered the warehouse.

"That was insane" Mitchie said once the float came to a stop.

"You get used to it after a while" Shane said with a smile as he sat down on the edge. Mitchie walked over and joined him.

"That's always been my dream" she admitted. "To be able to make people as happy as that through music"

"You can do it. You just have to believe in yourself enough and pretty much all of your dreams can come true. I know mine did" Shane said with a smile as he jumped to the floor. He held out a hand to Mitchie to help her down which this time she gracefully accepted.

"Thank you" she said.

"You're welcome"

"Shane, Mitchie. Come on" Nate called from the other side of the float. "We have to get through this crowd and the sooner we do it, the better"

"Coming" Shane replied as he began to walk in the direction of the others, Mitchie walking closely beside him.

"Does he mean that we have to walk through those girls?" she asked.

"Fraid so" Jason said. "Just stick close to us"

"Ready?" Nate asked. Mitchie smiled when she saw that Nate had grabbed a hold of Caitlyn's hand and she looked to as nervous as she was.

"Let's do this" Shane said as Nate opened the door. The screams were deafening but the boys paid them no mind. Jason was quick to grab Mitchie's hand as he walked through the door. Shane brought up the rear to ensure that Mitchie got to the car safely.

"Shane!"

"Nate!"

"Jason!"

"I love you!"

"Who are they?"

"Marry me!"

"This is crazy!" Caitlyn yelled to Nate. He simply smiled back at her and followed the body guard through the crowd and Caitlyn breathed a sigh of relief when the car came into view.

"Get in!" Nate yelled to Caitlyn in order to be heard over the screams. Caitlyn climbed in without hesitation and Nate was close behind her. Not too long did Jason enter the car with Mitchie and Shane behind him.

"You think we would be used to that by now" Jason commented as the car slowly began to move.

"Is it like this all the time?" Caitlyn asked. She smiled when Mitchie took the seat next to her.

"Pretty much" Nate said.

"Where are we going?" the driver asked.

"The train station please" Jason said.

"You do know that the station might be a tad crowded with screaming girls" Mitchie commented. "Wouldn't it just be easier to drive to our town?"

"Your bags are in the boot already" the driver said.

"I say we just drive to your town" Shane said. Everyone agreed with him. Caitlyn gave him the directions with a few twists along the way to lose any fans that were following them.

"What are we going to do when we get home Mitch?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie laughed.

"Do you know how much homework I have to get done before school on Monday? Mum only let me come today as long as I get everything done when I get home"

"I totally forgot about school" Caitlyn said.

"What year are you girls in?" Jason asked.

"We're in our final year" Mitchie said. "I can't wait til it's over. I want my life back"

"I want mine back as well" Caitlyn said with a smile. "First thing I am going to do once I have finished is sleep"

"Sleep?" Nate questioned.

"Yup, sleep. Doing homework late into the night and having to wake up earlier than normal for some classes, it can take a lot out of you"

"When did you guys finish school?" Mitchie asked.

"Nate and I graduated school last year. We were homeschooled which was easier when we were touring" Shane explained. "Jason graduated two years ago. He got to go to prom and everything"

"You guys didn't have prom?" Caitlyn asked. Shane and Nate shook their heads.

"We haven't had ours either yet. To be honest I'm not really looking forward to it" Mitchie said.

"Why wouldn't you be looking forward to it?" Nate asked. "I was bummed that I missed mine"

"Mitchie and I are considered the outcasts at school. We don't really want to go to an event where all the rich and popular girls make everyone else feel like nothing with all they effort they put in."

"That's a good enough reason" Shane said.

"Our plan is to find guys who are brave enough to ask us to prom but then we have our own smaller one. We want to set up a radio in the park and have a mini prom under the stars. No one else but us. That way if we are not crowned prom queen, it's not going to be rubbed in our faces" Caitlyn said.

"I like that idea" Shane said. "That sounds like a perfect prom to me" Mitchie smiled as everyone began to talk about prom.

"Are you excited about tomorrow Mitchie?" Jason asked. Mitchie nodded her head as a large smile made its way onto her face.

"I'm super excited about tomorrow!"

"So are we" Nate said. "This day really has turned out to be random"

"You have no idea" Caitlyn said as she looked at Mitchie.

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**That wasn't too bad was it? Not too rushed? Because i really wanted to move onto the part where everyone is at the recording studio and such. Woo i'm getting excited for this story! **

**And now i'm off to bed everyone. Got a big day tomorrow :)**

**xoxoxoxo  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey Guys. I'm soooo sorry that it has taken me a while to get this up but school is becoming a little overwhelming now. I'll try to get updates as quickly as i can to you guys. And can i just say that you guys are amazing with this story!!!!!! I have almost 100 reviews for this story! I was not expecting that at all! I'll try to get the next chapter done soon. I let you in on a secret... i've been writing more of this story when im at school instead of doing work :p  
Don't tell my teachers...lol.**

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**Chapter 9**

After a couple hours of driving and non-stop talking, the driver announced that they were arriving at the small country town of Canatella.

"So this is where you girls live" Jason said as he stared out the window.

"It's small but its home." Mitchie said and Caitlyn laughed.

"Small? Mitchie this place has one hotel, small mall and one school and the recording studio where you work. This place is smaller than small"

"Oh come on Cait. We found plenty of places whenever we went exploring around here. This place was huge to us, and we have more buildings than that" Mitchie said.

"Be serious Mitch. We only found those places because there was nothing else to do around here"

"So is this like one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone?" Nate asked.

"Pretty much" Mitchie answered.

"That's soo cool" Jason exclaimed.

"You get over it quickly" Caitlyn mumbled. Mitchie noticed that Nate was laughing quietly at Caitlyn's comment.

"You've never been a small town girl Cait, you've always loved going to bigger places"

"That's because there are soo many more opportunities to do what you want in a bigger place. I'm not going to get far if I just stay here"

"What do you want to do?" Nate asked. Caitlyn smiled while everyone waiting eagerly for her answer. Mitchie knew that her answer would impress the boys.

"I've always loved the production side of music. Being behind the scenes and helping everyone else look good. Sometimes Mitchie and I just hang around the studios all day and experiment with some new sounds"

"You should come with us when we record" Shane said suddenly. "Get to know the industry and maybe work with our producers" Mitchie held back a giggle as Caitlyn's eyes seemed to widen beyond belief.

"Let me get this straight. First you offer Mitchie a chance to possibly be singing back-up on your album and now you're asking me to work with the producers as they work on your album?"

"That sounds about right" Nate said while nodding his head.

"What is up with this day?" Caitlyn directed at Mitchie.

"I have no idea" Mitchie said as she shook her head slowly.

"I'm guessing that stuff like this doesn't happen often to you does it?" Jason asked.

"The biggest thing to ever happen to us was to get tickets to your concert next month" Caitlyn explained.

"Hey Shane, doesn't Monica used to live in a place like this?" Jason directed at Shane. Nate and Shane stiffened quickly before returning to how they were before.

"Who's Monica?" Mitchie asked.

"She's umm.... she's my girlfriend" Shane said while he scratched the back of his neck. The boys watched as both Caitlyn and Mitchie's eyes went wide before Mitchie clasped her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my gosh!" both girls said together while looking at each other. They were talking quietly with each other, very quietly in fact the boys couldn't even make out one word they said. They only saw that Caitlyn was staring at Mitchie and Mitchie was nodding her head slowly. Mitchie slowly dropped her hand from her mouth and turned to face Shane.

"I am so so so sorry about today!" she said. "If I had of known that you had a girlfriend then I never would have done it"

"Wouldn't have done what?" Jason asked, looking back and forth between Mitchie and Shane.

"Mitchie kissed Shane at the train station this morning because I dared her to do it" Caitlyn said quickly before anyone else could say anything. No one spoke a word for a moment while Jason processed what had just been said.

"That's awesome" Jason said after a while.

"How is it awesome?" Shane asked, clearly confused by Jason's train of thought.

"Think about it. How often does someone famous like us get spontaneously kissed by a random fan? It's one to add to the book of strange things that have happened to us. I want something like that to happen to me"

"We can always dare Mitchie again" Caitlyn said with a laugh. Nate and Shane laughed along with her while Mitchie shook her head.

"No thank you. I've done enough kissing for today and it's embarrassing enough once" Mitchie said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're just upset that you gave away your first kiss to a dare"

"I'm still surprised that today was your first kiss" Shane said, an amused expression on his face. Mitchie turned to glare at him.

"Yes that was my first kiss and I am not upset-" she was cut off by Caitlyn.

"Yes you are Mitchie but you are overjoyed by the fact of who your first kiss was with" Caitlyn said as she said the last part quietly while clapping her hands together and sighing dramatically. They didn't realise that the boys had heard the last part.

"Okay, can we seriously please stop talking about this?"Mitchie asked desperately.

"No, I like this conversation" Caitlyn said. Mitchie glared at her.

"Okay then, how about we talk about your first kiss?" Mitchie directed towards Caitlyn. Caitlyn stopped smiling and started blushing.

"What's the story?" Nate questioned.

"Caitlyn gave away her first kiss in the first grade with our school's now resident sleazebag. They were caught kissing behind the toilets behind a magazine"

"That's not that bad" Shane said, wondering why Mitchie was holding in her laughter and Caitlyn looked about ready to kill.

"Her mum caught them" Mitchie finished. The boys erupted in laughter while Caitlyn glared at them all.

"That is awesome" Shane said while he high-fived Nate.

"If mine is so awesome then why don't you three share your first kisses" Caitlyn mumbled.

"I got caught under mistletoe with my primary school crush" Jason said.

"I was in a school play in grade 4 and I had to kiss the lead girl in the end" Shane said. Nate blushed and didn't say anything. Shane and Jason noticed this.

"Nate hasn't kissed anyone yet" Shane said with a laugh.

"Awe, so you're just like Mitchie. Well not anymore because Mitchie's only just given away her first kiss" Caitlyn said while looking at Mitchie.

"I think we get the picture that today was the first time I had ever kissed someone" Mitchie said in annoyance.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shane sat back as he listened to the conversation. He certainly wasn't expecting this topic to come up. He was wondering more so why his kiss with Mitchie wasn't making him worried about what would happen should Monica find out.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Where to now?" the driver asked from the front.

"Can we stop for food?" Jason asked. Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other.

"My mom should be home and she's always cooking so there is bound to be food around somewhere so we can stop at my house for a bit" Mitchie said with a smile. The boys thanked her while Caitlyn told the driver the address. Mitchie was beginning to worry that everything today was seeming perfectly normal. The only downside of the day... finding out that Shane was currently involved with someone. Who she was, Mitchie had no idea but it still dampened her spirits and Mitchie knew that Caitlyn knew this as she kept glancing at her.

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**So how was that? Not too bad i hope :) I shall get started on the next part for you. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Yo! So because of how much i love you guys for loving this story i have decided to give you an extra long chapter. I think it's about 3000 words for this one. lol. This chapter is sort of some background on Mitchie before stuff happens. It is a bit intense.. just to warn you lol. **

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**Chapter 10**

The car slowly pulled up outside of Mitchie's house.

"You have a cool house Mitchie" Nate commented as the boys looked out the window.

"Let's hope that mum doesn't have any visitors today" Mitchie said to Caitlyn. Caitlyn laughed as she agreed.

"Why not?" Shane asked as he began to unbuckle his seatbelt, everyone else doing the same.

"She tends to go overboard with everything" Mitchie explained as she stepped out of the car. The rest followed coming to a stop in front of the gate. The boys were a little bit surprised when Caitlyn was the first person to walk through the gate and right up to the front door, walking straight in.

"Come on" Mitchie said, gesturing with her hand for the boys to follow her. It had been a while since these boys had felt a little out of place and nervous about what was going to happen next. They hadn't realised how much they had missed that feeling of being at home.

"Mom! I'm home" Mitchie called out.

"In the kitchen" came Caitlyn's voice. Mitchie kicked off her shoes and placed her bag on the floor.

"Should we take our shoes off as well?" Nate asked. Mitchie shook her head.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I just prefer to be shoeless" Mitchie said with a smile as she started to walk towards the kitchen. The boys were slow to follow Mitchie, having noticed a lot of pictures along the walls. There were plenty of Caitlyn and Mitchie as they had been growing up plus several portraits of Mitchie and her parents.

"Your family like's photo's Mitchie" Nate said as he stopped by one of Mitchie playing the guitar and obviously not knowing that the picture was being taken. Mitchie stopped walking and turned to see what the boys were looking at. She laughed at some of them.

"Yea, my dad loves his camera" Mitchie explained, with a hint of pain in her voice. No-one seemed to notice though

"I like this photo" Shane said, pointing to the one that Nate was looking at. Mitchie blushed.

"Yea, my dad decided to sneak up on me one day when I was just playing around with some stuff. I didn't even realise that he had taken the picture until I saw it on the wall"

"Mitchie" a voice called from the kitchen.

"Coming mom" Mitchie replied. "This way" Mitchie said to the boys as she started walking once again towards the kitchen.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Caitlyn looked up from the brownie she was eating when she heard Mitchie enter the kitchen.

"Hi mom" Mitchie greeted her mom with a kiss to her cheek.

"Hi Mitchie. How was the parade?" Mrs Torres asked as she placed a fresh batch of cookies onto the plate.

"The parade was awesome" Mitchie replied, sharing a look with Caitlyn. "I want to introduce you to some people mom" Mitchie said. Mrs Torres stopped what she was doing and looked at her daughter. It was then that she noticed the boys standing behind Mitchie.

"And who are these dashing young fellows?"

"Mom, this is Jason, Shane and Nate.... the boys that make up Connect 3" Mitchie said while biting her lip. She had no idea how her mom would react to this.

"Connect 3? Is that the band that you two wanted to go and see today?" Mrs Torres asked. Mitchie and Caitlyn nodded their heads. "How on earth did they end up here in my kitchen Michaela Torres?" Mitchie blushed at the use of her first name while Caitlyn sniggered.

"It's...... umm....."

"We bumped into each other in the train station earlier today. Mitchie had slipped and I was helping her." Shane intervened.

"Everything after that has all pretty much been a blur" Caitlyn said. Mitchie didn't know what to say so she just nodded.

"And we have all ended up here how?" Mrs Torres pressed further.

"Well you see had asked Mitchie to come and possibly sing back-up on our new album and we found out that Mitchie worked at a recording studio so we planned to spend tomorrow just going through some things, if that is alright with you Mrs Torres" Nate explained.

"Call me Connie please and I guess that's a good enough explanation. Is anyone hungry now after your trip?"

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Around half an hour later, the group was sitting in the living room just relaxing.

"Where are you guys staying?" Caitlyn asked. Connie, who happened to be passing the living room stopped when she heard the question.

"I think we were going to go and see if we could get a room down at the hotel" Jason said with a shrug.

"Don't be silly" Connie said, stepping into the room and startling everyone.

"What are you talking about mom?" Mitchie questioned.

"We aren't going to let these boys go and stay in that mangy old hotel"

"Where are they going to stay then?" Caitlyn asked with a confused expression on her face.

"We have plenty of room here. Why don't you just crash here for the night or however long you need to?"

"Seriously?" Nate asked. The girls looked at each other, unable to form a word. Connie nodded.

"Of course. It's not often that Mitchie brings handsome boys home with her" Connie said with a wink directed at Mitchie.

"Mom!" Mitchie exclaimed while everyone laughed.

"I'll go and get the extra bedding" Everyone watched as Connie left the room with a large smile on her face.

"Your mom is officially awesome!" Jason said.

"She is pretty cool" Caitlyn agreed. Mitchie blushed as she ducked her head. Connie returned a moment later with her arms full of sleeping bags and pillows.

"I think this should be enough for now"

"Thank you so much for letting us stay here Mrs Torres" Shane said.

"Connie please. Mrs Torres makes me sound old"

"You are getting old mom" Mitchie said with a smile. Connie gasped but smiled at her daughter.

"Is that really how you think of me Mitchie?" Mitchie laughed as she jumped up and hugged her mom.

"No, I love you no matter how old you are"

"You got out of that one" Connie said with laugh. "I'm going to go and start dinner now"

"What are you cooking?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie had returned the ground with everyone else.  
"Our world famous Torres burgers" Connie said.

"Yes!" Caitlyn replied excitedly. She turned to the boys. "You haven't lived until you have tried Connie's burgers"

"Oh Mitchie," Connie said just before she was about to walk out of the room. Mitchie looked up. "Your dad is coming over for dinner tonight"

"Oh" Mitchie replied. The boys noticed that the smile had disappeared from Mitchie's face and it was replaced with a frown. Connie sighed.

"He wants to see you Mitchie"

"I know" Mitchie sighed. Connie nodded before walking out of the room. Putting on a fake smile Mitchie turned back to everyone.

"So, what do you want to do now?" she asked. Caitlyn looked at her and Mitchie knew that she could see right through the smile.

"Is.... everything ok?" Shane asked slowly.

"Everything's fine" Mitchie answered.

"Mitch?" Caitlyn questioned softly. Mitchie took one look at Caitlyn before abruptly standing up and walking out of the room. The boys noticed the faint trace of tears in her eyes.

"Excuse me" Caitlyn said to the boys before she rushed after Mitchie.

"Do you think she's alright?" Jason asked. Shane and Nate shrugged, not liking that they felt completely helpless in this situation.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn said as she walked into the hallway. She stopped and sighed when she saw Mitchie sitting on the floor. "Oh Mitch"

"I don't want to see him" Mitchie whispered.

"I know Mitchie but he's your dad. You have to at least give him that"

"You give me this pep talk every time he comes over" Mitchie said with a laugh. Caitlyn smiled.

"Look, to make it easier, we are all going to be here with you. Would you tell the boys about your dad?" Mitchie shrugged.

"I honestly don't know. This day has been so weird. I have Connect 3 sitting in my living room and staying over at my house tonight"

"You do know that I'm staying over tonight as well" Caitlyn said.

"I wouldn't want you to leave me" Mitchie replied with a smile. Caitlyn stood up and extended her hand to Mitchie.

"Come on, we just ditched the boys" Mitchie grabbed the hand that Caitlyn was reaching out to her and pulled herself up.

"Should I tell them?" Mitchie asked as they walked back into the living room.

"It's up to you but I'm pretty sure that they are going to ask questions"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Are you okay?" Jason asked once the girls had returned to where the boys were sitting.

"I'm okay" Mitchie answered honestly. She inwardly smiled at how concerned they were for her even though they had only known her for less than one day. The boys looked at each other but didn't press it any further.

A couple of hours later the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway could be heard. Mitchie tensed up slightly as she was setting the table. The boys and Caitlyn had offered to help so that the job could get done quickly. The doorbell rang and Mitchie froze which didn't go unnoticed by everyone.

"Can you please get the door Caitlyn?" Connie asked while sneaking a look at her daughter who continued to set the table. Caitlyn nodded and left the room. "Boys ,can I please talk to you for a minute?" Connie directed towards Jason, Shane and Nate. They nodded and followed Connie into the kitchen.

"I'm not sure if Mitchie has enlightened you onto this situation but just so that you know, Mitchie doesn't like to speak to her dad after we divorced. He can be very hard on Mitchie when it comes to what she wants in life and with her schooling. I do apologize in advance if some sort of argument breaks out" Connie explained while the boys listened intently. The sound of the door opening caused Connie to sigh. "You better go out there. Even though she hasn't known you three that long, Mitchie is going to need all the support she can get tonight"

"Sure" Shane said as he followed Nate and Jason out of the kitchen. Caitlyn had walked back into the kitchen with a nervous look on her face and looked over her shoulder.

"Where is he?" Mitchie asked in a monotone.

"He's taking his jacket off" Caitlyn answered. Shane looked over at Mitchie to see her looking in their direction. He gave her a soft smile which Mitchie returned. He made his way over to her.

"Your mom enlightened us a little bit on this situation" Shane whispered in her ear once he was close. Mitchie looked up at him.

"What did she tell you?"

"Just that your parents are divorced and that your dad can be hard on you" Shane replied. Mitchie nodded her head and moved over to the bench where there was some food waiting to be placed on the table. Grabbing the bowl of Salad and a jar of dressing, Mitchie slowly made her way back to the table.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" a new voice asked. Shane noticed that Mitchie's grip on the bowl tightened as she forced herself to look up at her dad.

"This is Shane, Nate and Jason" Mitchie said. "They are friends of mine and Caitlyn"

"They're boys" Mr Torres said in a scrutinizing tone. Connie decided at that moment to make her appearance, carrying a plate of burger patties.

"Steve, I didn't hear you come in" she said.

"What are these boys doing in the house?" Steve asked. The boys moved closer towards the girls. Shane noticed Mitchie's hand were balled up into fists so he quietly placed his hands over hers. He immediately felt her calm down. She looked at him with a smile and mouthed thanks.

"They've been here all afternoon and I invited them to stay for dinner" Connie said.

"So what is she doing with them? Going out with all three?"

"They are friends Steve. Leave it at that" Connie said in a warning tone. She snuck a look at her daughter and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She didn't deserve to feel ashamed of her family when she had friends over. Steve said nothing else but sat down at the table. Everyone else slowly followed suit.

Mitchie didn't say a word at all during dinner. She wouldn't blame the boys if they decided the wanted to leave right at this moment. Dinner was over and Connie was now bringing out a plate of deserts while Mitchie was handing out coffee. She was reluctant to give one to her dad but had no choice.

"So how is school Mitchie?" Steve asked, striking up conversation.

"Fine" Mitchie answered.

"Haven't got much longer left have you?"

"About a month left"

"And what are you planning on doing next year?" Caitlyn glanced at the boys and could see that they were wincing slightly from how awkward and simple the conversation was. This was the worst that Caitlyn had seen Mitchie with her dad.

"Not sure yet. Maybe get into music" Mitchie said as she moved onto filing up the next cup which happened to be Jason's. With her back to her dad, she didn't see the frown that had appeared on his face.

"What ever happened to the conversations about you becoming a teacher?" Steve asked.

"Well you don't really have any say over my life anymore and right now I'm deciding that I want to pursue music" Mitchie snapped.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that young lady. I'm still your dad" Mitchie spun around to face her dad with a glare upon her face.

"No, you lost that privilege when you followed your co-worker out to the city. You're only my dad and I only speak and put up with you during times like this because you are related to me by blood. You have no right to have any input into my life because you haven't been here for the last 7 years!" Mitchie said. The hurt and anger could easily be picked up in Mitchie's voice. Steve rose up out of his chair and walked towards Mitchie. Connie looked on with worried eyes.

"How dare you speak to me like that? I thought we brought you up better than that but obviously I was wrong. There was a reason why we pushed you to do well in school. It wasn't so you could throw it all away to become some washed up popstar! I didn't spend thousands of dollars for you to get an education and then for me to come here and see that you are hanging around with these pathetic people"

"Don't you dare insult my friends" Mitchie said through gritted teeth. Tears were visible in her eyes now.

"I think you should leave now Steve" Connie said. Steve looked over at his ex-wife and glared at her.

"I'm not finished yet. I'm not going to sit around and watch her waste her life away"

"I am not wasting my life away!" Mitchie said, the tears she had now been holding in were running down her cheeks.

"Keep up like this and your life will be worth nothing" Steve said. That was the last straw for Mitchie. "I hate you" Mitchie said quietly but everyone still heard her. Unable to look at anyone, Mitchie quickly left the room. Everyone looked up at Steve.

"Get out" Connie ordered him. Steve said nothing but simply walked out of the room. Once they heard the front door close Connie sighed and sat down in her chair. The boys were too stunned to speak while Caitlyn wiped away the trace of tears in her eyes. Connie looked up at everyone.

"I'm so sorry that you had to endure that" she said.

"Is Mitchie okay?" Jason asked. Everyone was startled when Caitlyn suddenly stood up from the table.

"I'm going up to see Mitchie. Would any of you like to come? I know she would appreciate it" Caitlyn asked softly. The three boys immediately stood up.

"You three are genuinely amazing" Connie said softly. "I hope to see you around here more often"

"We hope so as well" Nate said with a smile before following the others out of the room and towards Mitchie's room. Caitlyn's features saddened when they heard sobbing coming from Mitchie's room. She knocked softly before entering the room, gesturing for the boys to follow her. Mitchie was seated on her window seat with her knees hugged to her chest and her face buried in her arms.

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie looked up and wiped away some of her tears.

"Hey guys" she said knowing that it was no use to try and act happy. Everyone had been downstairs and present during the argument. Caitlyn was quick to cross the room when she saw the pain in her friends eyes.

"You are worth so much Mitchie" Caitlyn whispered.

"Would it help if we played you some songs? Sort of like a mini concert?" Nate asked with a smile on his face. He had noticed various instruments and many musical themed items in Mitchie's rooms. Mitchie laughed through her tears and nodded her head.

"I'm sorry about what my dad said about you guys?"

"Don't worry about it" Jason said. "We can be insanely awesome washed up popstars" Everyone laughed at this comment.

"Maybe not washed up" Shane said with a laugh. Mitchie managed a real smile to light up her face as the boys began to play and sing.

"I can't wait for tomorrow" Mitchie whispered to Caitlyn who just smiled and nodded at her.

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**So was that long enough for you? I did this because updates are going to be slower from now on... faster if i decide to ditch homework and write instead :p**

**The next chapter should be happier than this :D  
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	11. Chapter 11

**Yo yo yo yo yo yo yo...i'm back with another update...lol. Can i just say again that you guys are amazing with your reviews for this story. You make me want to write this as quickly as i can for you! :D**

**This is also another long chapter for you and Monica is spoken of a little more. She's coming very soon. I can tell you that much. :D**

**I do not own the songs by Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers and the cast of GLEE  
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**Chapter 11**

Mitchie woke up the next morning a little bit dazed about what had happened last night before it all came back to her. Her dad, the fight, the crying, Caitlyn and the boys coming to check on her, the boys playing a mini private concert before Connie had brought up all the bedding and a few late night snacks. She said that she trusted everyone enough to let them all stay in the same room seeing as Mitchie looked like she could use the comfort. The boys had played a few more songs before random topics were talked about. That's all Mitchie could remember before she had fallen asleep. Seeing that she was the only person left in the room, Mitchie jumped out of bed, grabbed some clothes from her dresser and walked into the bathroom. It would be too embarrassing to greet everyone, especially three very good looking boys from Connect 3, in her just woken up state.

After 20 minutes Mitchie found herself headed downstairs now all freshened up.

"These pancakes are awesome" Mitchie heard Nate say from the kitchen. She smiled knowing that her mom must have gone overboard with breakfast this morning.

"Connie's food is always amazing" Caitlyn said. Mitchie walked into the kitchen to see everyone sitting up at the bench. Connie smiled at her over everyone's heads.

"Morning Mitchie" she greeted. Everyone turned around at one.

"Morning" they all chorused. Caitlyn jumped off the chair and engulfed her friend in a comforting hug.

"How are you?" she questioned.

"I'm fine" Mitchie smiled. She looked over the boys and laughed quietly to herself.

"What?" Caitlyn asked having heard the laugh.

"I never thought I would wake up and see Connect 3 sitting in my kitchen eating breakfast that my mom made" Mitchie said as she nodded her head in the direction of the boys. Caitlyn smiled.

"You and me both girl" Caitlyn said as she walked back over to her seat. Mitchie walked around the bench and greeted her mom with a kiss to her cheek.

"Cómo estás?" Connie asked her daughter. (**Translation: How are you**)

"Estoy bien" Mitchie replied. (**Translation: I'm good**)

"You can speak Spanish?" Shane asked, clearly astounded about how Mitchie and her mom conversed with each other. Mitchie grinned and nodded.

"Well you guys better hurry up and eat if you want to get down to the studio" Mitchie said as she grabbed a piece of toast and rushed upstairs.

"What is she doing?" Jason asked.

"Mitchie always gets excited whenever she's about to start work at the studio. She's probably upstairs grabbing her guitar and whatever other music related thing she takes. Bear in mind that although Mitchie only works a two hour shift, she spends a majority of her day at the studio"

"That's fine with us" Shane said as he polished off his glass of juice.

"Mom, where are the keys for the car?" Mitchie called out.

"They are where they always are" Connie replied. The sound of keys jingling could soon be heard.

"Found them" Mitchie answered.

"I've never seen her this excited to go to the studio" Connie observed.

"Maybe that's because she's going to be recording songs with these three" Caitlyn said, gesturing towards the boys. Connie smiled and nodded.

"That could be why"

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Less than 10 minutes later, the group found themselves in Mitchie's car headed towards the recording studio.

"Hey Mitch, can we stop off at my house? I want to get my computer" Caitlyn said.

"Sure" Mitchie replied. She knew that Caitlyn would ask this question so she was already headed in that direction. The boys were sitting in the backseat and watched the girls interact.

"Why can't all girls be like this?" Jason asked silently. Nate shrugged but Shane was distracted by his phone vibrating on his leg. He pulled it out and opened the message.

_I miss you xx_. Shane smiled. He honestly did miss Monica, having not seen her in 1 week. He quickly sent a reply.

_I miss you too. Headed out to a recording studio today. Will talk when we're done. Xx_

"Who are you texting Shane?" Caitlyn asked, turning all attention to him.

"My girlfriend" he replied. Caitlyn was the only person to see that Mitchie's spirit had deflated slightly. She had known since forever that her friend had a crush on the popstar and now that they were actually hanging out with Connect 3, her crush had grown a little more. Of course she couldn't say that the same thing hadn't happened to her. Looking out the corner of her eye, Caitlyn looked at Nate for a split second before looking back out the front.

"We're here Cait" Mitchie said. Caitlyn nodded before unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping out of the car. 5 minutes later Caitlyn returned carrying her laptop.

"Hit the road jack" she said with a smile. Mitchie laughed before starting the engine again and driving off.

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"This place is impressive" Nate commented as the group stepped into the studio. Mitchie smiled as she lead everyone towards the back.

"This is an unused studio. You guys can hang back here while I'm working" Mitchie explained as she placed her guitar and bag in the corner.

"What do you have to do?" Jason asked as he sat down on one of the chairs.

"I just have to tidy up and put some files away" Mitchie explained. That will take me about an hour and then I spend the rest of the time in the studio. I think some people are coming in today as well"

"Well we have a guitar, piano and we've got music with us. I think we're good to hang here for a while" Shane said. Mitchie smiled before walking back out through the door.

"So what do you want to do first?" Nate asked everyone.

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An hour into her shift, Mitchie realised that the day was going to be slow. Knowing that everyone else was in the other room, Mitchie headed towards a room well known by her. It was a room containing an old grand piano. Seating herself on the seat, Mitchie began to play the opening notes to one of her songs that she knew very well. All too soon her voice began to accompany the music. Getting lost in the song, Mitchie was unaware that she had an audience.

_Desde muy niña siempre actue  
Con timidez  
Con el miedo de decir  
Todo de una vez  
Tengo un sueño en mi  
Que brillando esta  
Lo dejare salir  
Por fin tu sabras_

_Lo que soy, es real  
Soy exactamente la que debo ser hoy  
Deja que la luz brille en mi  
Ahora si, se quien soy  
No hay manera de ocultar  
Lo que siempre he querido ser  
Lo que soy_

(**This Is Me Spanish Version**)

Hearing clapping behind her, Mitchie spun around to come face to face with Shane, Nate, Jason and Caitlyn.

"That was awesome Mitchie" Caitlyn said. Mitchie simply blushed, not being able to find words to say.

"You are way too good to be singing back-up for us" Jason said in awe.

"Thank you" Mitchie mumbled.

"So you have an awesome voice and you can also sing in Spanish. What else can you do?" Shane asked with a smile.

"Do you want to start working on some songs now?" Nate asked. Mitchie looked up at the clock and nodded. Her shift ended soon anyway and the other employee's could take care of everything.

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Placing the headphones on, Mitchie took a nervous breath as Shane and Nate stepped into the booth with her.

"So we're just going to start with one of our older songs that Caitlyn said you know pretty well" Nate explained as he passed Mitchie a sheet with the lyrics. "You just sing for the highlighted parts and we'll see how that goes" Mitchie nodded while Shane motioned for the music to begin. Mitchie smiled as the opening chords for _Take A Breath_ came through the speakers. After about an hour and countless songs later, Mitchie was exhausted but the boys seemed pleased with and with Caitlyn's producing abilities.

"Would you be comfortable enough to sing a solo song for us?" Nate asked as they were all gathered around the recording desk listening to the play-back. Mitchie bit her lip and looked at the ground.

"Come on Mitchie" Caitlyn urged. Seeing the pleading look in everyone's eyes, Mitchie found that she had no choice. They would continue to beg her if she said no.

"Fine" Mitchie said with a sigh. Caitlyn squealed and hugged Mitchie tightly. "I can't breathe Cait"

"Sorry" Caitlyn said as she released Mitchie.

"There's nothing to be nervous about" Shane said to her.

"Says you. You're not the one who has to sing in front of famous people that she has only known for a day" Mitchie said with a laugh as she walked into the booth.

"We've had to sing in front of famous people before" Jason said.

"The first time you were asked to sing?" Mitchie challenged. Jason opened his mouth but closed it knowing that Mitchie had beaten him. Mitchie turned to Caitlyn. "What song?"

"Sing _Don't Stop Believin'" _Caitlyn suggested. Mitchie frowned.

"I wrote that as a duet though" Mitchie said. Caitlyn shrugged.

"Well we don't have anyone to sing it with now anyway and if you sing this now and we record it, it will be easy to show your future duet partner exactly where their parts are" Caitlyn said. Mitchie sighed and nodded.

"Alright, play the track then" Caitlyn smiled before she pressed play and the instrumental track started to play. Mitchie began singing soon after.

_Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world  
She took the midnight train goin anywhere  
Just a city boy, born and raised in south detroit  
He took the midnight train goin anywhere_

_A singer in a smokey room  
A smell of wine and cheap perfume  
For a smile they can share the night  
It goes on and on and on and on_

_Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard  
Their shadows searching in the night  
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion  
Hiding, somewhere in the night_

_Working hard to get my fill,  
Everybody wants a thrill  
Payin anything to roll the dice,  
Just one more time  
Some will win, some will lose  
Some were born to sing the blues  
Oh, the movie never ends  
It goes on and on and on and on_

_Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard  
Their shadows searching in the night  
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion  
Hiding, somewhere in the night_

_Dont stop believin  
Hold on to the feelin  
Streetlight people_

Mitchie finished the song and looked at everyone. They had looks of surprise on their faces.

"That was unbelievable" Nate said.

"Did you write that?" Shane asked. Mitchie nodded slowly.

"I would definitely recruit you to help us write some stuff and I would definitely recommend you to your record company" Nate said. Shane opened his mouth to say something but his phone signalled once again that he had a text message.

"What does Monica say this time?" Jason asked. Shane smiled as he read the message.

"Well she's in town just passing through and she's coming over to visit now" Shane replied. Mitchie and Caitlyn shared a look. Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

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**And we have now made it to the end of another chapter :D**

**I feel good writing this as today we had a three hour english sac... killed my hands but oh well... that's what you get when you write a lot...lol. I've still got another 4 sacs before 3rd term ends next week... one more week of school then holidays for two weeks then two more weeks of school... then study break... then exams and then i am DONE! Finally finished school for good! WOOOOO!!! lol**

**Reviews greatly appreaciated :D  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**How awesome is this.... you guys have been getting pretty fast updates with this story lol... maybe because i'm really enjoying writing this story and having no idea where this is going to take me....i'm just going with the wind on this haha. I hope it won't get too out of hand. **

**So Monica has finally been introduced into this chapter...yay. I know you are all going to love her....lol.  
**

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**Chapter 12**

"Do you mind if we step out to get some food?" Nate asked while the group had been sitting around talking. Mitchie smiled and shook her head.

"Go for it. There's a nice diner across the road from here and it's usually empty around this time of day"

"Do you girls want to come?" Shane asked. Mitchie and Caitlyn shook their heads.

"You can bring me back something though" Caitlyn said with a grin as she fished into her purse for some money.

"Don't worry about the money" Nate said. "I'll take care of it" Caitlyn stopped her rummaging to look up at Nate with a surprised look on her face.

"It's okay. I've got money for myself" Caitlyn said. Nate shook his head.

"Seriously, I've got it for you" he said. Caitlyn looked over at Mitchie who simply shrugged at her. Sighing Caitlyn turned back to Nate.

"Can I pay you back later then?"

"Sorry, this in non-refundable" he said with a smile before dragging Shane and Jason out of the room.

"That was so sweet" Mitchie said excitedly while Caitlyn blushed.

"Why would he offer to do that?" Caitlyn asked, mostly to herself but Mitchie still heard her.

"Maybe because he likes you" Mitchie teased as she grabbed one of the guitars beside her.

"Get a grip Mitchie. There is no way a superstar like Nate Thompson would like little old me"

"There is such a thing as miracles" Mitchie said with a shrug as she strummed the guitar. Caitlyn let out a sigh of frustration as she sat down next to Mitchie.

"This is so much more complicated than I would like it to be" Mitchie laughed.

"I agree with you there. Crushes are such complicating things"

"Yes, except mine was a crush on a celebrity that I had never met. Now it has escalated to us spending the last two days with them. This has grown into more than a celebrity crush and that's what's frustrating me"

"I think it's sweet" Mitchie said as she leaned over to grab some paper and a pen on the ground. Sitting back up straight, she began to jot some words down along with chords.

"Writing another song?" Mitchie nodded with a smile. "Can I hear what you have?"

"This is just the chorus so far" Mitchie said before she started to repeat the chords she had been playing. Her voice, although soft, was loud enough for Caitlyn to hear.

_Believe... in all that can be,  
A miracle starts whenever you dream,  
Believe, and sing from your heart,  
You'll see,  
Your song will hold the key..._

"That sounds beautiful Mitchie" Caitlyn praised.

"Thank you" Mitchie said.

"Could you complete it now?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie grinned.

"We can sure try"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

20 minutes later the girls were still in their positions before but there were lots of scrap pieces of paper around them containing song lyrics that didn't seem to fit in with the song.

"We're getting nowhere with this" Caitlyn complained. "And when is my food getting here?" Mitchie laughed.

"We've been writing this song for less than half an hour Cait"

"So why isn't it finished yet? It feels like we've been writing for ages"

"You mean I've been writing for ages" Mitchie pointed out. "You've just been adding in random words here and there."

"That's my contribution to your song writing processes" Caitlyn said with a smile. Mitchie returned the smile as she absentmindedly scribbled some more words down. Suddenly Mitchie sat up straight and grabbed her guitar.

"What is it?" Caitlyn asked.

"I think I might have the first verse" Mitchie replied before she started to play again. She looked at Caitlyn and grinned before singing the words.

_Hidden beneath the ground,  
Is a spring that feeds the creek,  
Invisible as the wind,  
That you feel upon your cheek,  
And every breeze that whispers,  
Reminds us constantly,  
Sometimes what's real is something you can't see._

"Go to the chorus" Caitlyn said to Mitchie just before she was about to finish. Mitchie nodded before playing the chorus she had been playing before.

_Believe... in all that can be,  
A miracle starts whenever you dream,  
Believe, and sing from your heart,  
You'll see,  
Your song will hold the key..._

"Wow" Caitlyn said. "Keep writing" she encouraged. Mitchie didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed the pen and paper and started to write the next verse of the song.

"Food's here" came Nate's voice from as the door opened. The boys stopped when they saw the multiple balls of scrunched up paper on the ground, Mitchie sitting against the wall with a guitar across her lap and hunched form could be seen writing something. Caitlyn was fixing up something on her laptop before looking up and smiling at the boys.

"Took your time" she teased. Nate simply shrugged as he sat down next to her.

"We were distracted by the photo hall inside the diner" he explained. The boys were confused when the girls stopped what they were doing, looked at each other and started laughing.

"What?" Jason asked as he sat down by Mitchie.

"That photo hall has been there for years. It holds some embarrassing memories of everyone as well as people's accomplishments and so on" Mitchie explained.

"We saw quite a few pictures of you two in that hall" Shane said.

"Of course you would" Mitchie said with a grin. "The owner of that diner absolutely loves us"

"Does he really love you or did you threaten to make it him like you?" Nate asked with a grin. Caitlyn and Mitchie rolled their eyes. "Here's your food by the way" Nate directed towards Caitlyn.

"Oh, thank you" Caitlyn said softly as she took the food.

"Where did Shane go?" Jason asked. Everyone looked up and realised that Shane was no longer in the room.

"Maybe he went to the bathroom" Mitchie suggested. Jason nodded before leaning forward and picking up one of the pieces of paper that had been thrown to the ground.

"What have you two been working on?" he asked.

"Just a song we came up with now" Mitchie answered.

"Can we hear it?" Nate asked as he also picked up a piece of paper. Mitchie nodded, feeling more confident in front of these boys now than before. Starting to play the opening chords, Mitchie noticed that Nate had grabbed another guitar and was picking up the same chords but playing them with a different rhythm. He moved over to sit by Mitchie so that he could see the words as well.

_Hidden beneath the ground,  
Is a spring that feeds the creek,  
Invisible as the wind,  
That you feel upon your cheek,  
And every breeze that whispers,  
Reminds us constantly,  
Sometimes what's real is something you can't see..._

_Believe... in all that can be,  
A miracle starts whenever you dream,  
Believe, and sing from your heart,  
You'll see,  
Your song will hold the key... _

_  
Waiting behind the clouds,  
Is the sky that's always clear,  
And chasing away the doubts,  
You watch the sun appear,  
It's shining to remind you,  
As each new day begins,  
There's always hope if you just let it in..._

_Believe... in all that can be,  
A miracle starts whenever you dream,  
Believe, and sing from your heart,  
You'll see,  
Your song will hold the key..._

_You can paint the stars,  
You can touch the sky,  
Spread your wings and discover you can fly (and sing from high),  
You won't know until you try..._

_Believe... in all that can be,  
A miracle starts whenever you dream,  
Believe, and sing from your heart,  
You'll see,  
Your song will hold the key..._

_Oooh-ooh, believe, and dream what can be,  
Ask with your heart,  
And you will receive._

_Believe, the beauty is yours to see,  
Your song will hold the key..._

_Oooh-oooh..._

_(When you) Believe..._

_Beli-eve..._

_When you believe..._

_Ohhh, believe..._

Whenever Mitchie got to the chorus, Nate would softly join in with her. Caitlyn had started recording the song soon after Mitchie had started playing. When the two stopped, they were met with Caitlyn and Jason clapping for them enthusiastically.

"That was brilliant" Caitlyn said.

"I agree there" Shane's voice said. Everyone looked up to see that Shane had returned but he wasn't alone. Caitlyn and Mitchie could see that Nate and Jason's moods had deflated in the slightest but they still noticed. They looked back up at Shane.

"Mitchie, Caitlyn. I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend Monica" Shane introduced, stepping aside and letting the girl walk forward. She was the same height as the girls but she had shoulder length black hair with soft brown eyes. She was dressed in a summer dress complete with sandy colours sandals. She had a very welcoming smile.

"Nice to meet you two" she said with an angelic voice. Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other. She was not what they were expecting.

"Nice to meet you as well" Mitchie said with a forced smile. Caitlyn looked at Mitchie. She knew that Mitchie's crush on Shane had been growing and they had envisioned Shane's girlfriend to be some spoilt little brat whose daddy gave her anything she wanted. After seeing how nice Monica seemed, Mitchie didn't stand much of a chance, especially with the way that Shane was looking at her.

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**dun dun dun! lol. And there she are probably going to hate me for that but that is all part of the plan :) **

**I shall begin writing the next chapter for you :)  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yo everyone. So this chapter is just kind of a filler chapter on Monica... just for you all to get to know her.**

**Congrats to Angie-ange who picked up on the song used in the end of last chapter. I was wondering who was going to get that so well done :)**

**So tomorrow is my last day of term 3 and then we have holidays and then i have 10 days of school left! AHHH! I'm happy though because summer is finally going to be here soon :)**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 13**

"Why does she have to be so nice?" Mitchie complained to Caitlyn while they were in the bathroom. Caitlyn smiled sympathetically at her friend.

"I know what you mean. I was expecting some bratty daddy's girl who got anything she wanted whenever she wanted and be really clingy to her boyfriend and really nice in front of him but she would show her true colours when he wasn't around" Mitchie laughed once Caitlyn had stopped talking.

"You have watched one too many movies"

"Hey, you've watched just as many as I have" Caitlyn defended herself as she sat down on the ground. Mitchie followed with a laugh.

"So what do we know about this Monica?" Mitchie asked after a moment's silence. Caitlyn placed her finger on her chin as she thought about the question. Mitchie looked at her with an amused grin on her face.

"Well, we know that out of all honesty that Monica is pretty decent looking," Mitchie laughed at this statement. "And that she seems relatively normal"

"Boys make everything so much more complicated" Mitchie moaned as she rested her head against Caitlyn's shoulder. They were startled when the door suddenly opened and Monica walked in.

"Oh sorry, I didn't see you there" She said once she saw Mitchie and Caitlyn.

"It's alright" Mitchie said. Monica smiled.

"They boys have been wondering where you two had run off to" Monica explained as she pulled some lip gloss out of her bag.

"We felt the need to come down here and realise that everything that has happened over the last two days has not been a dream" Caitlyn said with a laugh and Monica laughed with them.

"I know what you mean" Monica said.

"How so?" Mitchie asked.

"Can I join you girls?" Caitlyn and Mitchie nodded before Monica came and sat down by them.

"I used to be waitress at some small diner in a town just like this. Connect 3 were passing through and decided to stop of to get some food. I happened to be working that night and when the boys came I fainted as soon as they looked in my way"

"Are you serious?" Caitlyn asked and Monica nodded with a blush. "That's almost as bad as Mitchie here"

"Hey" Mitchie exclaimed.

"What did you do?" Monica asked.

"We were on the same train going into the city and Mitchie may have fallen back on him when the train came to a stop and then when rushing of the train to save herself embarrassment, she tripped while getting off" Caitlyn explained while Mitchie glared at her.

"That is pretty embarrassing" Monica said with a smile. "Anyway, when I woke up, the boys were there and yea. I was the one to ask Shane to come on a date with me and he said yes. We've been together now for about three months"

"That's awesome" Mitchie said with a smile. Caitlyn could see that it was forced. She was really going to have a word with Shane for hurting her friend.

"So what do you like to do Monica?" Caitlyn asked. Monica grinned widely.

"Well I'm not too keen on the whole music scene thing. I'm not a big fan of music but don't tell Shane that" Monica said with a smile as she put her finger to her lips. Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other. "But I do love science. I'm in my last year of uni right now and I'm studying wildlife conservation"

"That's pretty cool" Mitchie said, genuinely interested in the subject.

"It's so much fun" Monica gushed. "A team and I have even been sponsored to go on a trip to Australia to work with their conversationalists there because of the variety of species there"

"We should probably get back up to the boys" Caitlyn said after a while. The girls had continued to talk and as a result they had lost track of the time.

"Good idea" Mitchie said softly. Truth be told, it wasn't easy for Mitchie to talk to this girl because of her crush on Shane but Monica was the type of person that you couldn't help but like. She was a genuinely normal person.

"So do you love Shane Monica?" Caitlyn asked as the three girls walked back to where the boys were.

"Love? Are you serious? Sure I like Shane but I don't love him love him" Monica said.

"This girl confuses me" Mitchie whispered to Caitlyn as Monica walked on ahead. Caitlyn nodded in agreement. There were no more chances to speak as they had arrived back at where the boys were.

"Where did you two disappear to?" Nate asked once the girls walked into the room.

"Bathroom" Mitchie answered as she sat down on the floor with everyone.

"That was an awfully long time there" Jason commented as Caitlyn came to join the rest. Eventually they had formed a circle.

"They are very good places to talk" Caitlyn said. "No interruptions from guys"

"I'll never understand girls" Shane said with a shake of his head.

"Pretty sure you wouldn't want to understand them" Nate said.

"Pretty sure you're just too scared to understand us" Caitlyn said with a smirk.

"Pretty sure that you...." Nate trailed off when he couldn't think of anything to say. Caitlyn smiled widely.

"Pretty sure that I am awesome" she said triumphantly. Mitchie and Jason laughed at the look on Nate's face.

"They suit each other" Jason whispered to Mitchie.

"Tell Caitlyn that and she'll scream" Mitchie replied. Jason looked at her.

"Why is that?"

"Caitlyn's been in love with Nate ever since she first heard of Connect 3" Mitchie said quietly, sneaking a glance at Caitlyn to make sure that she wasn't listening to this conversation. She was too engrossed in a conversation with Nate to even notice.

"Really? Because I think that Nate likes Caitlyn" Jason said. Mitchie smiled.

"Should we let them figure it out for themselves?"

"I think that we give them a couple of weeks say to see what happens, and if nothing does, we intervene" Jason said.

"I like your thinking" Mitchie said. Jason smiled and held out his hand to Mitchie to shake. Mitchie took his hand and shook it, sealing their deal. Honestly, she was beyond surprised that Jason had said a couple of weeks, meaning that the boys wanted to stay in touch with the girls, even when they had to leave.

"So what do you think of Monica?" Jason asked after a few moments silence between the two. Mitchie looked at him.

"She's....nice" Mitchie said, cringing when she realised that she had stalled in answering. Jason laughed. "What do you think of her?"

"She's alright. I personally think that Shane should have said no to the original date, but that was his decision"

"Why don't you like her very much?"

"I think that she gets too star struck on front of us and any other celebrities that she has been with us to meet. Too often she proclaims her love for other celebrities in front of Shane but we've never heard her say that she loves him"

"That's what she was telling us before" Mitchie said. "We were talking to her about Shane and we asked her if she loved him and she thought we were joking"

"Yea, see the problem she is too nice of a person to not like her because of that"

"I know what you mean" Mitchie mumbled.

"Because of Shane?" Jason asked with a knowing smile.

"What?" Mitchie asked in surprise.

"You were trying not to like Monica because she was with Shane when you like him"

"How did you figure that out?" Mitchie asked.

"Well there's the little fact of the dare this morning and it's not easy to miss" Mitchie groaned and hid her face in her hands.

"Great" she mumbled.

"Don't worry. I don't think anyone else has noticed"

"I don't want anyone to find out now"

"I'll keep your secret safe" Jason said. Mitchie smiled at him.

"Thank you" Their attention was turned to the conversation the others were having.

"I am so going to marry Brat Pitt one day" Caitlyn said.

"He is the hottest thing to walk this planet. I'm like in love with him" Monica said. Mitchie glanced at Shane and saw the look on his face. Looking back at Jason, he only sighed and shrugged. Looking back at Shane, Mitchie noticed that he was looking in her direction. He offered Mitchie a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Mitchie smiled back at him before managing to tear her eyes away. Jason noticed that Shane kept his eyes on Mitchie for a little while longer before turning back to the conversation.

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**Wooo!!!! Another chapter. I'm proud of myself for these fast updates...lol. Not that i can say the same thing about Bank Hiest 2... i'll get working on that. **

**Anyone like my little Australia reference?? lol. i had to put something about my lovely little country in this story haha. And i was actually going to be a conservationist... but music is more the top preference now. **

**So who likes Monica??  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm back! lol. So this isn't going to be a long note...lol. Probably won't update for a couple of days as i'm going out tonight and then tomorrow is all full and sunday is half full as well. I've also got to try and get some exam preparation done during these holidays as well. **

**I'm sorry if the spanish is a little wrong as well :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

About two hours later at around 3:00 Monica stood up.

"Well I should probably get going. I need to be at my family's house by tomorrow"

"It was nice to meet you" the girls said as everyone else stood up. Monica smiled and walked forward to hug the girls.

"It was nice to meet you as well. I hope to see you again soon"

"You bet" Caitlyn said through a smile that Nate, Jason and Mitchie could see through. They all held back a laugh.

"Bye everybody" Monica called out as she walked out of the room with Shane.

"Okay seriously, why couldn't she be one of those bratty girlfriends who only go out with someone famous for their money?" Caitlyn asked once the door was closed.

"Why would you want her to be like that?" Nate asked.

"So then I have a reason not to like her" Caitlyn mumbled. The boys laughed at the statement.

"Why don't you girls like her?" Nate asked. Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other.

"Well first off it was because she didn't seem to genuinely like Shane for Shane and the fact that Mitchie here...ow!" Caitlyn exclaimed as Mitchie elbowed her in the side. "That hurt"

"Get over it. You really have to stop telling everyone everything about me" Mitchie said.

"They are bound to find out sooner or later" Caitlyn said.

"Find out what?" Nate asked. "Do you know?" he asked Jason. Jason simply shrugged. "Come on. Jason knows so why can't I?" Nate whined.

"He's going to eventually find out Mitchie" Caitlyn pointed out.

"Why don't we just tell the whole world everything about me then" Mitchie said sarcastically.

"Come on Mitchie. Live a little."

"So if I live a little does that mean that you have to as well?" Mitchie asked with a coy smile. She was not going in this alone. Caitlyn stopped and looked at Mitchie. The look in her eyes told Mitchie that she knew about her plan.

"Do you girls always talk like this?" Jason asked. "In silent conversations"

"Most of the time when we are with other people" Caitlyn answered, not looking away from Mitchie. Mitchie held a triumphant smile on her face.

"You going to back down out of this one Cait?" Mitchie asked. Caitlyn mumbled something under her breath.

"No. I never back down out of a challenge" Caitlyn finally said.

"Te quiero" Mitchie said while laughing. **(I Love you)**

"Yea yea Te quiero tambien" Caitlyn mumbled. **(I love you too)**

"You both speak Spanish?" Nate asked.

"Mitchie's taught me a few words here and there" Caitlyn answered. "You should see when her whole extended family is in the one room. Every conversation is in Spanish"

"Well Spanish is my family's first language while it's my second language" Mitchie explained.

"Can you sing us another song in Spanish?" Jason asked.

"I do know a lullaby in Spanish that my mom used to sing to me" Mitchie said slowly.

"You are really getting more comfortable with singing in front of people Mitch" Caitlyn said. Mitchie smiled.

"Can you please pass me the guitar?" she asked Jason smiled. Jason reached over and handed it to Mitchie.

"What other instruments can you play?" Nate asked.

"Well I can play piano, guitar, violin and the triangle" Mitchie replied with a grin.

"The triangle?" Nate asked with a laugh.

"Hey, I'll have you know that the triangle is a very complex instrument to master" Mitchie said in defence of the triangle.

"What did I miss?" Shane asked as he walked back into the room.

"Mitchie is just about to sing us a Spanish lullaby" Caitlyn said. Shane turned to Mitchie.

"Really?"

"Yea, it's an old one that has been in my family for ages" Mitchie said. Shane sat down as Mitchie started to play.

_A la nanita nana nanita ella nanita ella  
Mi nia tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea_

_Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora  
Ruise__or que en la selva cantando llora  
Calla mientras la cuna se balansea  
A la nanita nana, nanita ella_

_A la nanita nana nanita ella nanita ella  
Mi nia tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea_

_Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora  
Ruise__or que en la selva cantando llora  
Calla mientras la cuna se balansea  
A la nanita nana, nanita ella_

The boys clapped enthusiastically once Mitchie had finished.

"That was beautiful Mitchie" Nate said. Mitchie smiled softly as she put the guitar down.

"So what do we do now?" Shane asked. Caitlyn was about to answer when a faint sound of a bell ringing could be heard.

"What's that?" Nate asked.

"Is that..." Mitchie asked Caitlyn. Caitlyn's face turned from confusion to worry in an instant.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked. Both girls said nothing as the leapt to their feet and belted out of the room.

"Please tell that it is not what I think it is" Caitlyn could be heard saying to Mitchie.

"Should we follow them?" Shane asked. Jason and Nate nodded and the three boys set off after the girls. It didn't take long to find them as they were standing at the front door.

"What's wrong?" Shane asked.

"It's the warning bell" Caitlyn responded, not looking back at the boys. The boys noticed the tight grip that the girls had while holding hands with each other.

"And what does the warning bell warn you of?" Jason asked.

"Really bad storms or..." Mitchie trailed off and bit her lip.

"Or what?" Shane asked. The boys were becoming increasingly worried now.

"Or tornadoes" Caitlyn said with a sigh. The boys looked around outside and saw people rushing to their cars and placing boards over their windows.

"I've got to get home to mum" Mitchie suddenly said as she started to walk outside. Caitlyn grabbed hold of her arm.

"Mitchie you know you can't" she said. Mitchie struggled against Caitlyn's grip.

"I don't care. She is in that house all alone" Mitchie said.

"Mitchie, listen to me" Caitlyn said firmly. "You know as well as I do that it's too dangerous to go out there now. The signal is already out there which means that we don't have time to go home. If you go out there, you run the risk of being caught in the middle of whatever is coming our way and that will be no good to your mom or me"

"You're right" Mitchie said as she started to relax a little bit. Caitlyn released her arm and Mitchie wiped away the trace of tears on her face.

"What do we do now?" Jason asked. Caitlyn shut the door and bolted it.

"We move towards one of the rooms in the middle of this place and grab any food and water and blankets or jackets if you have any. We need to prepare for the worst"

"I'm going to call my mom" Mitchie said as she left the room. Caitlyn watched her walk away.

"Do one of you guys want to go with her?" she asked the boys.

"I'll go" Shane offered. Caitlyn nodded while she told Jason and Nate to follow her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shane walked down the hallway until her heard Mitchie speaking.

"Todavía estoy asustado" Mitchie said. **(I'm still scared)**. Shane could hear someone talking on the other end of the phone."Ser seguro" **(Be safe)** Mitchie whispered into the phone.

"You okay?" Shane whispered to her. Mitchie looked up and smiled at Shane and nodded.

"Te quiero mama" Mitchie said before hanging up the phone.

"Is your mom okay?" Mitchie nodded.

"She's grabbed everything she can that is special to both of us and is going down into the basement" Mitchie said.

"Does this place have a basement?" Mitchie shook her head.

"They should get one in case of emergencies like this" Mitchie said with a laugh. "We should probably go and help the others collect everything we are going to need"

"Let's go" Shane said, signalling for Mitchie to walk first.

"Why thank you kind sir" Mitchie said with a small curtsey. Shane laughed and bowed slightly.

"You are most welcome fair lady" Shane said before the two erupted in laughter.

"We are such dorks" Mitchie said as they arrived at the room where everyone else was.

"I already knew that though Mitchie" Caitlyn said with a smile.

"Thanks Caity" Mitchie said sarcastically. "Have we got everything we need?"

"We got everything we could find" Jason said. Another siren could be heard going off.

"That's the ten minute warning" Caitlyn said. Mitchie looked to be deep in thought.

"Yea but isn't the siren the warning for a tornado?" Mitchie asked.

"Yes it is...." Caitlyn said slowly, realising what Mitchie had said. "I thought they were warning us for just a storm... not a tornado!"

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**How's that ending for the chapter?lol. It's sort of a cliffhanger and i haven't done one of those in a while... figured you needed one at some point**.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys. It is so nice to be on holidays right now...lol. Can i just say thank you soooo much to everyone who has been reviewing this story. I am almost at the 200 mark! :) that makes me really happy. If i could... i would name every single one of you... i might try and do that in the last chapter... if i remember lol. But just know that i have thanked you now. **

**So this chapter is a little bit more angsty. And i'm sorry if i wasn't able to get the whole tornado thing right... i only know from what i've read and watched. Kind of glad that we don't have them here in australia.. i think bushfires is enough for us.... even though i would rather we didn't have them at all. **

**Enjoy :D  
**

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**Chapter 15**

_Previously_

"_Let's go" Shane said, signalling for Mitchie to walk first. _

"_Why thank you kind sir" Mitchie said with a small curtsey. Shane laughed and bowed slightly._

"_You are most welcome fair lady" Shane said before the two erupted in laughter. _

"_We are such dorks" Mitchie said as they arrived at the room where everyone else was. _

"_I already knew that though Mitchie" Caitlyn said with a smile._

"_Thanks Caity" Mitchie said sarcastically. "Have we got everything we need?" _

"_We got everything we could find" Jason said. Another siren could be heard going off. _

"_That's the ten minute warning" Caitlyn said. Mitchie looked to be deep in thought. _

"_Yea but isn't the siren the warning for a tornado?" Mitchie asked. _

"_Yes it is...." Caitlyn said slowly, realising what Mitchie had said. "I thought they were warning us for just a storm... not a tornado!" _

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"So let me get this straight," Jason started. "We are now going to sit here waiting for a tornado instead of just a storm?"

"Apparently" Mitchie said with a sigh.

"Nobody panic" Caitlyn said in an effort to calm everyone when in reality, Caitlyn was trying really really hard to keep herself from visibly shaking, because inside she really was. Mitchie's face had paled and she was visibly shaking.

"Has this ever happened before?" Shane asked. Mitchie shook her head.

"I'm so sorry that you guys have to go through this. You should have just stayed in the city. Then you would have been safe" Mitchie mumbled to everyone.

"Hey" Nate started, making the girls look at him. "I would much rather be here right now. I don't think any of us would feel comfortable knowing that you girls were alone out here with this tornado coming"

"If anything happens to you..." Caitlyn said as she bit her lip.

"Shouldn't we be the ones worrying about if anything happens to you girls?" Jason asked.

"Pshh, we're totally capable of taking care of ourselves" Caitlyn said with a wave of her hand. At that moment, a loud crash could be heard which caused the girls to scream and duck down.

"What was that?" Mitchie asked.

"I think a window broke" Nate said. He turned to Caitlyn and looked down at his hand. "Still think you can take care of yourself?"

"What?" a confused Caitlyn asked. Nate smirked and held up his hand which was being tightly gripped by Caitlyn. Caitlyn blushed but didn't let go.

"I take it back. You can take care of me" Caitlyn replied with an uneasy laugh. Nate laughed softly and wrapped his arm around Caitlyn's shoulder.

"We're going to be fine" he whispered to her. Caitlyn didn't say anything but simply tightened her grip on Nate's hand.

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A few more cracks and crashes could be heard coming from the front of the building. The group had resorted to huddling up in the far corner of the room.

"Can someone please do something to distract us?" Mitchie pleaded as the loud winds blew angrily by outside. The boys looked at each other and knew they were all thinking the same thing. They were extremely happy that the past two days events had turned out like they had. They could even begin to imagine what would have happened to the girls if the boys had not been there.

"What would you like us to do?" Shane asked. Shane was sitting on the end with Mitchie at his side. Jason was on the other side of Mitchie. In between Jason and Nate was Caitlyn. Caitlyn had yet to let go of Nate's hand and he wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon. No one had a chance to answer as the winds had suddenly gotten louder and rougher.

"Stay close!" Jason yelled to everyone. Part of the roof was ripped off with a loud crack. The girls screamed and huddled closer to the boys. The wind filled the room as everyone kept a tight grip on one another. Paper and small bits of debris were flying everywhere around the room.

"Keep your heads low!" Shane told everyone as parts of the wall flew past their heads. The boys did their best to keep the girls away from all the flying debris.

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After what seemed like hours but was only about 20 minutes, the winds started to slow down.

"Is it over?" Mitchie asked as she looked up from where she had been hiding. Slowly everyone else began to look up.

"I think so" Jason said.

"Look at this place" Caitlyn said as she looked around the room. Mitchie sighed as she took in the scene before her.

"There goes our life" she mumbled. Caitlyn smiled sadly at her best friend.

"Let's go and see the extent of this damage" Nate said as he stood up.

"Do we really want to see?" Caitlyn whined as Nate helped her up. Mitchie wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped over everything towards the door. Placing her hand on the door, Mitchie pulled it but nothing happened. A frown appeared on her face as Mitchie placed both her hands on the door handle and tried to open it.

"What's wrong Mitchie?" Shane asked from behind her. Mitchie turned around to face the others.

"The door won't open" Mitchie replied.

"Let me try" Shane said as he walked over to Mitchie's side. Mitchie moved out of the way as Shane jiggled the door handle.

"Everyone stand back" Shane warned. The others moved back as Shane lifted his leg and kicked the door open.

"I could have done that" Mitchie mumbled with a smile. Shane looked back at her.

"Well obviously you couldn't because I had to"

"Yea, well that's because you didn't give me a chan-" Mitchie stopped abruptly as she took in the scene before her.

"What's wrong Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked before she also noticed the scene in front of them. "Oh my gosh"

"Everything is pretty much gone" Mitchie said quietly with s shake of her head. Jason walked up to her and placed a hand on her back.

"It will be okay. You'll see" Mitchie nodded before her eyes went wide and she turned to Caitlyn.

"My mom!" Caitlyn swore under her breath before looking at Mitchie. Tears were very visible in her eyes.

"How are we going to get there?" Nate asked.

"We're walking" Mitchie said as she started off in the direction of her house. The others looked at each other before following Mitchie.

"Slow down Mitch" Caitlyn said as she hurried to match Mitchie's stride.

"You don't get it!" Mitchie screamed, causing everyone else to stop. "My mom is freaking scared of tornadoes ever since her brother was killed by one. I can't just waste time here. I have to get there now!" Caitlyn seemed genuinely surprised and hurt by the outburst.

"I'm.... I'm sorry" Caitlyn stuttered. "I.... I didn't... didn't know" Mitchie looked at Caitlyn and gasped.

"Oh my.... I'm so sorry Cait. I didn't mean to take it out on you" Mitchie apologized. She kicked a branch and screamed in frustration before sinking down to the ground. Caitlyn quickly rushed over and knelt in front of Mitchie.

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about"

"That doesn't make it okay that I yelled at you though" Mitchie said. The boys had walked over to the two.

"Look, today hasn't been an easy one" Shane said. "We're not going to hate you if you get angry and upset"

"Shane's right Mitch. Let's just go and find your mom and then we can cry and yell and scream all we want later, how about it?" Caitlyn said. Mitchie smiled and nodded.

"Let's go" Shane offered Mitchie his hand and she gratefully took it. The five of them began to walk in the direction of where Mitchie's house hopefully still stood. They passed many people crying and looking for their loved ones.

"How are we going to get up from this?" Caitlyn asked while walking, looking around at where the school used to stand.

"We'll figure something out" Jason said.

"You make it sound as if you live here as well" Caitlyn said.

"Well you girls have made us feel at home here" Nate said. "It makes sense for us to try and help you get through this time"

"Thank you" Mitchie said. The sounds of sirens caused everyone to look forward. Mitchie gasped when she realised that it was her house.

"Oh no" Caitlyn said as both girls ran the rest of the way, the boys not far behind.

"Mom!" Mitchie called out when they were close enough. The girls stopped right in front of the house, both in a state of panic. "Mom!" Mitchie called again.

"Can I help you miss?" a deep voice asked. The girls turned to see a police officer standing behind them.

"I'm just looking for my mom" Mitchie replied. The boys came to a stop right behind the girls.

"You kids are going to have to leave" the officer said.

"No, you don't understand. That is my house and these are my friends" Mitchie explained.

"I'm sorry miss but this place is off limits. You need to leave now"

"Sir please, just let me find my mom" Mitchie said quietly, her voice cracking at the end. The police officer sighed and pointed to the ambulance that was parked not too far away. Fearing the worst, Mitchie slowly made her way over but stopped when a stretcher with a white blanket was wheeled towards the ambulance.

"No, no no no no" Mitchie said as she rushed forward. "Mom!"

"Miss, stop right there" a paramedic said as he grabbed hold of Mitchie. The others raced forward to see what was happening.

"Let me go! That's my mom!" Mitchie screamed with tears pouring down her face.

"Miss you need to calm down. Mrs Torres is being taken to a hospital out of town. She has gone into a coma and needs immediate medical attention" the paramedic explained to Mitchie. Mitchie said nothing but continued to struggle against the grips on her arms.

"What's going on?" Jason asked when they reached Mitchie.

"Do you know her?" the paramedic asked. Everyone nodded.

"Please try and calm her down. She could send herself into shock."

"Mitchie" Caitlyn said. Mitchie stopped and looked at Caitlyn. "I need you to calm down for me. You can hurt yourself if you don't" Mitchie nodded and stopped struggling but she was breathing heavily.

"Miss?" the paramedic asked with a worried look at Mitchie. Mitchie tried to stay upright but it was no use. She felt herself falling backwards and people calling her name before everything went black.

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**Sorry that this chapter was a little sad. It's all part of the whole plan :p**

**Thanking you in advace for your reviews... they mean a lot and make me enjoy writing this story. Can i also say that for my last chapter... i had over 1000 hits to this story... i have never gotten that much before. It usually stops at about 800 so i was really surprised to see these figures. **

**Love you all!!!**

**xx  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey!! So i've written a pretty long chapter for you guys this time :) This chapter is also slightly angsty and yea. Wasn't planning on making the story go this way but it just happened. I'll know if it was a good idea or not according to you guys :p**

**Will be a couple of days before i can update again as i've got family coming over tomorrow and on monday i've got an information session for my uni course for after i finish school. In actual fact i shouldn't even be writing now because my final exams are very very close and i would really like to pass them....lol. But i keep coming back to this story as well as another one ive been writing which i will post up soon. Bank Hiest is a little slow until i figure out where i want it to go.  
**

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**Chapter 16**

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked as Mitchie started to move. "Mitch?" Mitchie slowly opened her eyes to see Caitlyn and Connect 3 standing over her.

"What happened?" she asked as Caitlyn helped her to sit up.

"You kind of had a fit and fainted" Nate said.

"My mom?" Mitchie asked fearfully. She didn't know if she wanted to hear the answer or not. Caitlyn smiled sadly at her.

"They've taken her to a hospital in a town that wasn't affected by the tornado. She's in a coma right now"

"But....but they had a sheet covering her" Mitchie said as she recalled the events that had happened minutes before.

"That was to keep the dust away from her face" Jason informed Mitchie. Mitchie nodded as she looked around.

"Is there anything you want?" Shane asked. Mitchie turned to look at him.

"Is there a chance that I could get some water?"

"Got it here already" Caitlyn said as she picked up a cup of water from beside her. "The paramedic left it for you before quickly walking away to another person" Mitchie laughed.

"Did I scare him away?"

"You scared all of us Mitchie" Nate said softly. Mitchie looked at him and felt guilty for what she had put everyone else though.

"Sorry for that" she mumbled. Caitlyn smiled as she hugged Mitchie.

"You really need to stop apologizing so often" she said with a laugh. The boys laughed while Mitchie blushed. "Don't worry, we still love you Mitch"

"That's good to know" Mitchie said with a laugh before she stopped and sighed. She looked around and her heart broke at the sight.

"What's on your mind Mitchie?" Shane asked.

"Where are we going to go now? My house is ruined and my mom is in a coma. I don't have any family in this country at this moment and neither does Caitlyn" Mitchie said as she dropped her head onto her knees that were curled up to her chest.

"We'll figure something out Mitch" Caitlyn said softly.

"How are we going to get back up from this though?" Mitchie asked as she pointed to everything around her.

"We'll help you" Jason said. Nate and Shane agreed instantly. Mitchie leapt to her feet and hugged each of the guys.

"You guys are seriously awesome"

"We can't thank you enough" Caitlyn said as she joined in the hug

"Miss Torres?" a voice asked. The group turned around to see the same paramedic from before. He looked slightly fearful that Mitchie would pass out again.

"Yes?" Mitchie asked.

"We have a car ready to take you and your friends to the hospital where your mother is being treated"

"Oh...um... thank you" Mitchie said, surprised by the gesture. The paramedic smiled at Mitchie before walking off. A very faint blush covered Mitchie's cheeks as she returned the smile and looked back at everyone. Caitlyn was wearing a smirk on her face. "What?" Mitchie asked.

"I think he likes you" Caitlyn said with a smile.

"Yea right" Mitchie scoffed. "He was just being nice"

"Nice, as in he went to the trouble of organising a car to take you to your mom" Nate said.

"Okay... that's a little weird.....and it doesn't happen often but.... that doesn't mean that he likes me" Mitchie said.

"From a guys point of view, I'm going to say that he likes you" Jason said.

"But it's me!" Mitchie argued. Caitlyn placed both her hands on Mitchie's face and forced her to look her.

"Mitchie, listen to me when I say this that you are not some ordinary looking girl. You are incredibly beautiful, loyal and have one of the kindest hearts I know. I know that you don't think that but it is very possible for a guy to like you and that is proof that it can happen."

"That guy must be knocked up in the head then" Mitchie mumbled. Jason and Nate stifled their laugh while Shane remained silent. He didn't know what was happening but he didn't exactly like the fact that someone else liked Mitchie. But who was he kidding, he had a girlfriend. He had a girlfriend! Shane went into panic. He had completely forgotten about her with him being more worried if Mitchie and Caitlyn were safe...more so Mitchie as Nate was protecting Caitlyn but still. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and cursed when he saw that it was dead.

"How can you not see that you are stunning Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked which immediately pulled Shane away from his phone and away from Monica.

"Because it's not true" Mitchie said as she began to make her way over to where the car was waiting for them. The rest followed.

"You guys agree with me, don't you?" Caitlyn asked, directing her attention to the boys. Mitchie stopped and whipped around to look at them. This could get awkward for her very soon.

"Caitlyn, can we please stop?"

"No, I want to get their answer" Caitlyn said as she looked at the three boys. "Do you think that Mitchie looks pretty freaking hot?" she asked. The boys laughed at her choice of words. Mitchie had gone an intense shade of red.

"I would agree there" Jason said. Nate and Shane nodded their heads. Caitlyn smiled triumphantly while Mitchie refused to look at the boys. They were celebrities. They had had plenty of practise of saying things to people and not all of it may even have been true. What's to say they were telling the truth now?

"You don't believe them, do you Mitch?" Caitlyn asked softly. Mitchie looked up at Caitlyn and smiled sadly as she shook her head.

"Why not?" Nate asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it and Caitlyn I would appreciate it if you could please keep this to yourself" Mitchie said in a distressed voice as she walked over to the car. Caitlyn sighed before gesturing for the boys to follow.

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The car trip to the hospital was slightly tense. The boys wondered what was up with Mitchie while Caitlyn kept fidgeting.

"Stop" Nate whispered to Caitlyn as he placed his hand over hers. Mitchie looked away from the window to Caitlyn.

"Why are you so fidgety anyway?" Mitchie asked.

"Because I think that they should know" Caitlyn said. Mitchie narrowed her eyes.

"You want them to find out more about my pathetic life?" Mitchie asked as she looked back out the window. Caitlyn sighed.

"Mitchie listen to me. I know that things haven't been easy for you. I know. I've been there with you through it all and I know that you are still scared but you can't let that take control of your life. Not every guy is that bad"

"Can we please stop talking about it?" Mitchie quietly asked. The memories were too painful to relive.

"Keeping it all in isn't good Mitchie, you know that from experience" Caitlyn said pointedly. Mitchie sucked in her breath and blinked away the tears that had now gathered in her eyes.

"I know I made a mistake okay. I have to live with that everyday" Mitchie said.

"What is going on?" Shane asked softly. Both girls turned to look at him and could see that the boys were genuinely worried about Mitchie. The girls looked at each other before Mitchie sighed and nodded to Caitlyn. Caitlyn wrapped her arm around Mitchie's shoulders as she addressed the boys.

"Mitchie hasn't had the easiest life. You've seen how things are with her dad and now this tornado. When we were younger, one of the senior boys expressed an interest in Mitchie. At first we were both sceptical about it because of his reputation at school. He would be really sweet to Mitchie by leaving her flowers and chocolates and notes telling Mitchie how beautiful she was in her locker and stuff like that. Eventually he asked Mitchie to the dance." Caitlyn explained. Mitchie pulled her knees up to her chest as Caitlyn retold the story, the one that had caused her to become so sheltered and fearful of decisions she made, the one that caused her to not believe in herself. The one that drove her to...

"So what happened?" Jason asked, cutting of Mitchie's thought train.

"Well umm..." Mitchie cut in softly. Caitlyn smiled at her. "Carter, the guy, said he couldn't pick me up because his car was already full but that he would meet me there. I made my way there with Caitlyn and looked for Carter for ages. Eventually someone called my name and told me to come up to the stage. The whole school was in that room" Mitchie said, wincing as she recollected the memories.

_~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"_Would a Mitchie Torres please make her way to the stage" a voice called out over the speakers. Mitchie looked at Caitlyn and they both shrugged before Mitchie slowly began to make her way through the crowd towards the stage. A few people could he heard trying to stifle their laugh as though they knew what was happening. Arriving at the stage, Mitchie could see most of the football team lined up there. _

"_Come on up here Mitchie" Carter said into the microphone. _

"_What's going on?" Mitchie asked as she climbed the steps onto the stage. _

"_Well Mitchie, the team and I had a little bet going on" Carter started to explain. Mitchie bit her lip nervously as she waited for the outcome. Something told her that this wasn't going to be a good thing. "And we are happy to say that you have won the prize" _

"_What was the bet?" Mitchie asked quietly. She didn't notice two of the guys come up behind her until the grabbed her arms. "Hey, let me go" Mitchie said. Marissa, the head cheerleader walked up to Mitchie and stood in front of her. _

"_We'd like to offer you this crown for being the most worthless person in this school" Marissa said as she placed a paper crown on Mitchie' head with the word __**worthless**__ written in bright letters. _

"_Wh...why?" Mitchie asked when she found her voice. Marissa laughed. _

"_Oh sweetie, did you honestly think that someone like Carter would actually like you? You are the most boring, ordinary and plain person to ever walk this school. We were going to make a bet of which of the football team would be the first to kiss you but no-one wanted to waste their money so we resorted to this instead" The crowd was in hysterical fits of laughter. They laughed even harder when a bowl of punch was poured over Mitchie. Mitchie was in tears. _

"_Would you look at that, not even the punch can make you look any better than before. Just face it Mitchie, no amount of effort will make you feel beautiful" Marissa hissed. Mitchie chocked back a sob as she ran off stage and away from everyone. Caitlyn was fuming. She desperately wanted to do something but Mitchie needed her. _

_~~~~~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Mitchie closed her eyes as she finished retelling her story. She left out the part of what happened next. That was another story. Looking up, Mitchie and Caitlyn noticed that the boys seemed to be shocked into silence.

"They seriously did that to you?" Nate asked. Mitchie nodded.

"I wasn't that popular around school"

"But still, that doesn't give them the right to humiliate you like that" Shane said. Mitchie sighed.

"That's high school for you"

"I'm proud of you Mitch" Caitlyn whispered. Mitchie smiled.

"Can I say that I speak for all of us when we tell you that you really are beautiful Mitchie" Nate said softly.

"And not just in looks, personality wise as well" Shane added.

"Those guys were all probably jealous of you" Jason said with a laugh.

"Of what, my looks?" Mitchie asked.

"Jealous of everything about you Mitchie" Jason said. Mitchie smiled at the boys.

"Thank you" she said quietly. "It really means a lot to hear that, especially when it comes from you guys" The guys laughed.

"Glad we could be of help" Nate said. Mitchie looked at him and noticed that he had yet to remove his hands from Caitlyn's. She nudged Caitlyn subtly. Caitlyn looked at her and Mitchie looked down at her hands. Caitlyn looked down and blushed but made no move to move her hands.

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**Hmmmm.... some more of Mitchie's past is coming up there. And a little more Naitlyn for you as well :)**

**So i thought i would tell you that i went to the Melbourne Show yesterday... its this show we have with ride and showbags and heaps of displays and everything. I got the camp rock showbag... i was soo happy and had to be one of the oldest people there carrying that bag around... it was fun and really wet coz it was raining softly all day and started to pour just before we left as well....haha. We went on the bumper cars and that was an experience coz my little sister was driving. **

**I'll try and write more of this soon but i really need to try and get some study done these holidays so that i am prepared for my exams....... :S**

**xx**

**p.s. i thought i would let you know... that i've been working on ideas for a JONAS fic so keep an eye out for that as well :)  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**Extra long chapter for you guys today! Get excited! So we are sort of getting out of this sad spot in the story. I don't like sad things but this chapter has a little more smitchie for you and one part that i know you will be happy about ;)**

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**Chapter 17**

Mitchie sat nervously sat in one of the seats in the waiting room as she waited to hear some news about her mom. The boys had been unbelievable after Mitchie and Caitlyn had told them more of Mitchie's history. It seemed to have made them all closer opposite to what Mitchie thought would happen. Mitchie sighed and ran her hand through her hair for the hundredth time. Shane laughed softly beside her and grabbed her hand.

"Do you want anything" he asked her. Mitchie shook her head.

"If anything happens to her" Mitchie said as she stared at the wall in front of her. Shane looked at Mitchie and he wished that Mitchie didn't have to go through this. After knowing her only a few days, he felt very protective of her and he wanted to be able to take her pain away. Shane wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held onto her.

"I really want to say that you that your mom is going to be fine but I've been in a situation like this before and that doesn't help at all. The best thing that you can do right now is to make sure that you eat, drink and sleep enough so that you are able to stay healthy for your mom. Imagine what she would say if she found out that you were driving yourself into an unhealthy state just because you were worried?" Shane said and Mitchie managed to crack a small smile.

"Maybe I am a little hungry" Mitchie said.

"Perfect timing" Jason said as he walked up to Shane and Mitchie with a bag of food. Caitlyn and Nate were trailing behind carrying drinks.

"We figured you might be hungry so we went and got everyone food" Caitlyn said with a small smile.

"Thank you" Mitchie said quietly as she took the food that was offered to her. Everyone ate silently but Mitchie couldn't bring herself to eat but she ate small bites so as not to worry the others. It wasn't hard for Mitchie to not eat. It had happened before.

Caitlyn sat against the wall and slowly at her food. After the death of her mom and her grandmother, she couldn't afford to lose another mother figure in her life. It was hard enough that her dad was never home but losing Connie, Caitlyn couldn't picture her life without her and she hated to think what Mitchie must be going through.

The boys sat quietly and were still in shock from the past few hours. It had been hard for the boys to make genuine friends in their profession that were not celebrities. Everyone they met had some sort of interest in their fame and money. Monica had seemed different but she was using Shane for the possibility of meeting an A List celebrity. A sigh escaped Shane as he stood up and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Nate asked, drawing everyone's attention to Shane.

"I'm going to see if Monica is okay" Shane said with a forced smile as he walked over to the payphones. Mitchie tore her eyes away from Shane and focused on the half eaten food in her lap.

"Please eat some more Mitchie" Caitlyn pleaded.

"I'm not hungry" Mitchie replied.

"Please Mitchie" Caitlyn said with the desperation in her voice. Nate and Jason stayed quiet.

"I'm not hungry okay" Mitchie said.

"I know you Mitchie. You promised me that you wouldn't go back to that no matter how hard things got. You promised me that you wouldn't go back to any of it" Caitlyn said.

"I know" Mitchie sighed as she closed her eyes. "It's just hard"

"I know it's hard but I'm here with you and Shane, Nate and Jason can help you as well" Caitlyn said. Mitchie laughed shortly.

"They don't even know what I need help with Cait" she pointed out.

"I can probably guess" Nate said softly as he moved to sit next to Mitchie. Jason crouched in front of her.

"How long did it go for?" Jason asked. Mitchie looked at Jason and Nate and could tell by the look in their eyes that they knew what had happened a few years earlier.

"About eight months before I passed out one day in school. Caitlyn was furious with me and mom couldn't look at me for days because she was upset that she hadn't picked up on it earlier" Mitchie explained quietly.

"What caused you to start?" Nate asked. Mitchie bit her lip and hesitated with her answer. She had never been this open about her life to anyone other than Caitlyn.

"It was after the dance" she finally said. The boys smiled sadly.

"I wished we had of met you sooner" Jason said suddenly.

"Why's that?" Mitchie asked.

"We would have taught those guys a lesson for doing that to you" Nate said with a smile.

"Really?" Mitchie asked. Jason and Nate nodded.

"Of course we would have. You girls are the best friends we could have ever asked for" Jason said sincerely.

"I definitely have to be dreaming" Caitlyn said which caused the others to laugh, lifting the mood slightly. Mitchie looked over at Shane and sighed when she saw him talking in the phone. He looked upset and Mitchie had a feeling that something was wrong with him and Monica.

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Shane walked over to the payphone and placed enough coins in the slot to be able to make a phone call. After dialling Monica's number, Shane waited and was almost dreading that he had to talk to her. Things just weren't the same anymore and now that Mitchie had come into the picture... well.... things had changed.

"Hello?" Monica answered breathlessly.

"Hey Mon" Shane said.

"Shane!" Monica squealed. "How are you?"

"I'm good" Shane said slowly, wondering why she didn't sound scared. Did she not see the tornado? "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Of course I'm okay" Monica said. "Why? What's happened?"

"Did you not see the tornado that hit soon after you left?" Shane asked.

"Must have just missed it" Monica said with no ounce of worry at all. "Where are you anyway?"

"I'm at the hospital. Mitchie's mom is in here" Shane explained.

"What happened to her?"

"The tornado hit their house while Mrs Torres was inside. We are waiting for the doctor"

"That's nice" Monica said absentmindedly. Shane took a deep breath to keep from losing his temper.

"Did you not hear what I said Mon? Mitchie's mom is here in the hospital. We were all caught in that tornado and you sound like you don't have a care at all"

"Of course I heard what you said Shane" Monica said. "I'm sorry if you are not on my mind every second of the day!"

"I don't have to be on your mind every second of the day. I don't think about you every second of the day either."

"Well that's nice to know" Monica snapped. "What is going on with you?"

"Nothing is going on with me" Shane said through his teeth.

"Fine. Whatever. Do you want to come over now?"

"What? No! I repeat, I am at the hospital Monica!"

"Okay. No need to get your knickers in a twist" Monica said in a bored tone. Shane sighed. It was now or never.

"You know what; I don't think I'm going to be coming over anymore Monica"

"That's alright. I'll just come to you" Monica said, clearly not understanding what Shane was saying.

"No, I mean that I don't think we should see each other anymore"

"What.... why?" Monica asked in a shaky voice. If only Shane knew that he was not the one that caused her voice to be shaky.

"Because the only reason you are still with me is because of the other celebrities you get to me when you are with me. This whole relationship is a joke to you and this conversation has showed me that you don't care for much else other than yourself" Shane said.

"Mhhmm... yea sure" Monica said distractedly.

"Did you even hear a word I just said?" Shane asked.

"Oh my gosh! Robert Patterson just walked past me!" Monica squealed. Shane sighed.

"Don't bother calling back" he said before hanging up the phone.

"Wait!" Monica called just before he hung up. Shane paused and sighed before bringing the phone back up to his ear.

"What?" he asked in a tired voice.

"Don't wait for forever to ask Mitchie out. I can see how much you like her. Even more that you liked me. Bye Shane" Monica said in a soft voice before she hung up. Shane couldn't erase the look of surprise on his face. Hanging up the phone, Shane slowly made his way over to the others. Mitchie was the first to look up when he reached them. She went to smile at him but stopped at the look on his face.

"Everything okay Shane?" she asked. Everyone else looked at him.

"Yea" he said as he sat down.

"So what happened?" Nate asked.

"We broke up" Shane said simply.

"Are you okay?" Caitlyn asked. Everyone was confused by his calm nature.

"I'm perfectly fine" Shane said. Everyone looked at each other and shrugged before returning to their previous conversations. Shane leaned forward and held his head in his hands as he thought about what Monica had said. _Don't wait for forever to ask Mitchie out_.

"You sure you are okay?" Mitchie asked him quietly, cutting his train of thought. Shane lifted his head and smiled at her.

"I'm fine" he replied. Mitchie raised her eyebrow. Shane laughed softly knowing that Mitchie didn't believe him for one second.

"She didn't care that I was at the hospital. She didn't even ask if I was okay but instead she asked me if I wanted to come over to her house"

"You could have gone if you wanted to" Mitchie said softly. "You don't have to stay here"

"I want to though. When I said that I couldn't see her anymore, she was distracted because apparently Rob Patterson walked past her. All she ever cared about was the people she could meet when she went out with me" Shane said. "She seemed so different as well"

"I know what you mean. People like that are that much harder to dislike" Mitchie said with a laugh.

"Why did want to not like her?" Shane asked. Mitchie closed her mouth when she realised that she had let a little too much slip in her last statement. Thankfully, she was saved from replying when a doctor walked into the room.

"Connie Torres?" he asked. Mitchie leapt to her feet and walked over to the doctor.

"Yes?" Mitchie asked nervously. The doctor sighed. Mitchie felt her breath catch in her throat.

"I'm sorry. There is not much we can do for your mother. She had severe internal bleeding and she is in a deep coma. There is little chance that she could wake up." Mitchie felt like her whole world had stopped. She didn't hear any other words that the doctor said but she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and back.

"Mitch?" Caitlyn asked softly. Mitchie shook her head and looked up at the doctor. He seemed genuinely sorry for the news he had to deliver to her.

"Can I....can I see her?"

"Of course" the doctor said. "The fifth door on the left" Mitchie nodded before she started to make her way to the room. She stopped when she realised that no-one was following her.

"Aren't you guys coming?" she asked.

"We figured we should let you have a moment with her" Caitlyn said. Mitchie shook her head.

"I can't do this alone" she whispered. "Please?"

"Are you sure?" Jason asked as they all began to walk slowly towards Mitchie. Mitchie nodded as Caitlyn reached her side. The two girls grabbed hold of their hands and walked towards Connie's room. Grasping the door handle, Mitchie slowly opened the door and took a deep breath before entering the room. Gasping at the sight, Mitchie held on tighter to Caitlyn's hand while Caitlyn did the same. There was Connie hooked up to various machines and lying peacefully on the bed. Mitchie shook her head before releasing Caitlyn's hand and making her way to the door. She collided with someone's chest before she broke down crying. Shane easily held her up as she cried into his chest. Jason and Nate smiled sadly as Caitlyn just stood there. Nate made his way over to her.

"Hey" he said quietly. Caitlyn looked up at Nate before pushing past him and walking out of the room. A sob could be heard escaping her mouth. Nate quickly followed her.

"Caitlyn?" he called out softy. Looking around, he spotted Caitlyn sitting against the wall with her legs curled up against her chest and her head buried in her legs. Nate made his way over to her and sat down beside her. Caitlyn jumped in surprise.

"Nate, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if you were okay" Nate replied with a soft smile. Caitlyn returned the smile before wiping her eyes.

"Sorry" she said. Nate grabbed her hand and forced her to look at him.

"Don't be sorry. You are allowed to cry today. Heck, I'm even close to tears and I've only known you guys a couple of days" he said.

"I know, it's just. Ever since my mom and my grandmother died, I've looked up to Connie as my own mom as well as Mitchie's."

"What about your dad?" Nate questioned.

"He's never around. I lose track of where he is" Caitlyn said with a shrug.

"So who do you live with?" Nate asked confused. Caitlyn couldn't possibly be living on her own.

"I live with my brother but he's over in England studying. He always comes home during his breaks though. I spend most of my time at Mitchie's anyway though so it's alright. Connie always making extra brownies just for me because she knows that I love them" Caitlyn said with a smile.

"How long have you and Mitchie known each other?" Nate asked. He was hoping to distract her from everything around them and keep the mood from being too depressed.

"We've known each other since we were in kinder" Caitlyn said. "Stuck by each other for over 10 years"

"Wow, that's a long time" Nate commented.

"How long have you known Shane and Jason?"

"I've known Shane since I was about eight as we went to school together and Jason became my neighbour when I was 10. We all started to hang out and realised that we were interested in the same things. So being boys who liked music, we created a garage band. One summer we found out about this camp called Camp Rock and we all went. It was the most amazing experience of our lives. We performed at the final jam and apparently there were music execs there. We got signed and everything else has been like a dream come true"

"Mitchie really wanted to go to that Camp Rock but her mom couldn't afford it. Instead we made use of our summer by spending all our time at the recording studios and just hanging out" Caitlyn said with a smile before it vanished and she sighed.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked.

"I appreciate what you are doing but I feel bad if I'm out here having a happy conversation with you while Mitchie and Connie are still in that room" Caitlyn said. Nate smiled and nodded before standing up. He held out his hand to her, which she gratefully accepted. Before walking back into the room, Caitlyn leant up and pressed a kiss to Nate's cheek. "Thank you" she said softly before walking in. Nate smiled before he also walked into the room. Jason was sitting by the window. Shane was sitting in the small couch with Mitchie still in his arms. Her sobbing had subsided but there were still tears trailing down her cheek.

"Hey Mitch" Caitlyn said softly. Mitchie looked up from where her head was and gave Caitlyn a small smile but didn't move. She felt safe and protected in Shane's arms.

"Hey" she replied quietly. Looking around the room, Mitchie's eyes landed on her mom. This brought an onslaught of new tears. Shane sensed this and tightened his arms around her. He had never gotten to do this with Monica and Shane found that he liked the fact that someone was leaning on him for support.

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**Nice and long eh? Bit more Smitchie and Naitlyn moments there for you. Happier chapters are on the way with some more fluffy parts :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**OH MY GOSH!!! I'm am incredibly sorry for the long wait for this chapter. School has started up again and i've been swamped with work and exam revison. So that means that updates are probably going to be a little slow for the next few weeks :( I've also got my audition for my music course coming up as well so i have to prepare for that. **

**This chapter isn't my best work so i'm sorry for that as well. **

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**Chapter 18**

Mitchie eventually cried herself to sleep with Shane still holding her. Jason, Nate and Caitlyn were sitting on the floor quietly. No-one knew what to say after the doctor had brought them the new information. Connie wasn't strong enough to breathe without the life support and her wounds didn't seem to be healing fast enough. They were far too severe and causing her a lot of pain. By taking her off life support, Connie would no longer be in pain. Mitchie had asked to think about the decision she had to make overnight and tomorrow she would deliver her answer.

"Would Mitchie have to go into foster care?" Caitlyn asked Nate and Jason quietly.

"They would see that Mitchie still has a living relative, her dad, and they would most likely arrange for her to stay with him" Jason said.

"Mitchie can't go and stay with her dad. You've seen how they are with each other" Caitlyn said as she looked over at Mitchie. The boys looked over as well. Shane had his eyes closed and his head was resting against the wall.

"What about you? What are you going to do?" Nate questioned Caitlyn. Caitlyn shrugged.

"I'll figure that out later"

"They look good together, don't they?" Jason asked as he continued to look at Shane and Mitchie. Caitlyn and Nate turned to look at the two. Mitchie was sleeping soundly while Shane appeared to be asleep.

"I can hear you, you know" Shane said softly with a smile. His eyes remained closed.

"We're only observing you two" Caitlyn said.

"Cool" Shane said tiredly before his head rolled to the side slightly, indicating that he was falling asleep.

"Someone take a picture" Jason whispered. Nate quickly took out his phone and snapped a picture of Shane and Mitchie. Mitchie was most likely going to kill Caitlyn later but Caitlyn wasn't scared. She knew that Mitchie secretly liked the pictures that she had taken today. Caitlyn settled back against the wall and let her head drop onto Nate's shoulder.

"Today has been a long day" she drew out. Nate and Jason chuckled. Caitlyn jumped when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out and checking the caller ID, Caitlyn smiled.

"It's my brother" she told the boys as she answered it. Before she even had a chance to talk, the person in the other end began talking.

"Caitlyn! I'm so glad I reached you. I heard about the tornado at home and wanted to make sure that you were okay!"

"I'm fine Jake" Caitlyn said calmly. "Only a few cuts and bruises here and there"

"What about Mitchie and Connie?" Jake asked. Caitlyn bit her lip as she looked over at Connie.

"Mitchie's okay..." Caitlyn said slowly.

"What about Connie?" Jake pressed. Caitlyn sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Connie is in the hospital. The doctors say that she isn't going to make it" Caitlyn whispered out. She noticed that Nate had started to rub up and down her back to comfort her. Jake swore under his breath on the other end.

"Are you with anyone now?"

"I'm with Mitchie now and some new friends. I'll put you on speaker so they can introduce themselves" Caitlyn said as she pulled her phone away from her ear and put it on loud speaker.

"What new friends? You know everyone in Canatella" Jake said. Caitlyn laughed softly.

"Jake I want to introduce you to Nate, Jason and Shane, although Shane is asleep right now"

"Hey" both Nate and Jason said.

"Hi" came Jake's reply. "So how do you know Caitlyn?"

"We met her and Mitchie in the city yesterday" Nate explained.

"Why do your voices sound familiar?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" Caitlyn said with a smile.

"Try me"

"Ever heard of a band called Connect 3?" Jason asked.

"Oh yea. I hear your music non-stop coming from Caitlyn's room whenever I visit" Jake said.

"This is Nate and Jason from Connect 3 Jake" Caitlyn explained. "Mitchie and I met Shane at the train station and things just kind of went on from there"

"Are you seriously telling me that you, my Connect 3 obsessed sister, are hanging out with Connect 3 at this very moment?"

"It's true!" Caitlyn said.

"Put Mitchie on the phone. I'll check with her to see if you are telling the truth" Jake said.

"Mitchie is asleep right now, curled up next to Shane" Nate informed him.

"Look, just trust me that it is actually Connect 3 with me here now"

"Alright alright" Jake said after a moment's hesitation.

"Good, now question. When are you coming home?" Caitlyn asked. She held her breath as she waited for her brother's answer. Jake sighed on the other end.

"I honestly don't know Cait. I'm swamped with uni assignments and work and I just don't have the money to come home"

"Dad's away again" Caitlyn mumbled. "What am I going to do?"

"Can't you stay with Mitchie?"

"I don't think so. Because of the whole thing with Connie... Mitchie will most likely be sent to live with her dad and there is no way that he would let me stay either"

"I wouldn't want you staying with him either. I still haven't forgiven him" Jake said through his teeth. It was a known fact that Caitlyn's family was very close to Mitchie's. Jake had dubbed Mitchie as his second little sister and felt that he was responsible for the both of them. He loved it. He had never been quite able to forgive Steve Torres for what he did to Mitchie and Connie. He had hurt two important people in his life. "Can you come out to me?" Jake asked suddenly. Caitlyn's jaw dropped as she stared at her phone.

"You do realise that I have no money whatsoever to travel with. I spent it all on the Connect 3 concert tickets" Caitlyn explained, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that Jason and Nate were smirking at her. "Oh shut up you two" she mumbled.

"Is there anyone else you can stay with?"

"How about us?" Jason piped up. Caitlyn's head snapped around to look at him.

"What?" Caitlyn asked.

"Could you stay with us until you figure out something you can do?"

"Are you serious?"

"It's okay with me" Jake said.

"You're okay with me staying with three other guys?" Caitlyn asked her brother.

"I've taught you enough to keep yourself out of trouble and by the sounds of it, these guys have stuck by you and Mitchie through a lot in the past couple of days"

"They certainly have" Caitlyn said softly. After talking for a few more minutes, Caitlyn said goodbye to Jake and hung up the phone.

"Your brother seems nice" Jason said with a smile. Caitlyn nodded.

"He's my best friend apart from Mitchie. Did you really mean what you said, that I could stay with you guys?" Nate and Jason nodded.

"Of course. We wouldn't want you off with some random people" Jason said.

"You guys are the best!" Caitlyn said as she tightly hugged both of them. The moment was soon ruined by the door slamming open. Mitchie and Shane were jolted from their sleep and looked towards the door. Mitchie immediately tensed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a low voice. Steve laughed from the doorway.

"So now I'm not even allowed to visit family members in the hospital?"

"You are not part of this family" Mitchie as she moved a little closer to Shane.

"Apparently I am because I've been called to have custody over you seeing as your dear mother over here isn't going to make it"

"Don't talk about her like that!" Mitchie said. She was upset enough as it was. She didn't need the icing in the cake as well to make it even worse.

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**That was really bad... wasn't it? Sorry... i'll make it up to you next chapter :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**HEY!!!!! I'm incredibly sorry for the really long wait!!! but i've been studying for my final exams which are coming up in the next three days! And then i will be finished with anything school related forever! lol. Anyway this chapter is not entirely long but i wanted to get something new posted up and not leave you waiting for ages! **

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****Chapter 19**

Mitchie refused to sit anywhere near her father while he spoke to people about the custody of Mitchie. She didn't need this. She had already had enough on her plate. Even though Mitchie was 18, because she didn't have a place to live right now or enough money to support herself, she had no choice but to stay with her dad. Seeing as Shane was the closest person to her, she had grabbed his hand when talk about the custody started outside the room.

"Are we certain that Mrs Torres is not going to make it?" The social worker asked. **(A/N: not too sure about who takes care of these matters...so just bear with me :p)**

"Certain" Steve answered. Mitchie felt like being sick. Her dad was putting on an act in front of everything to make them think that he was some loving father. He even looked upset.

"Because Mitchie is 18, she doesn't have permanent residency at your home. Once she is able to support herself, she is free to leave. Do you understand that?" The worker asked. Steve nodded.

"I'm never going to have the same life again" Mitchie said quietly to herself and Shane.

"What do you mean?" Shane asked.

"If I go to live with my dad, he's going to push me into studying teaching."

"What does he have against you pursuing music?" Shane questioned as he stole a look at Mitchie's father and the compassionate face he was putting on.

"He thinks that musicians are just people who want attention. That they don't mean much to the world and that they only last a few years before quitting and having nothing to return home to. Basically it's not a stable job, whereas a teacher does have a stable job" Mitchie explained.

"I take that as an insult" Shane said lightly in an attempt to lighten the mood. It seemed to work as Mitchie smiled at him.

"Pretty sure that it's not an insult" Mitchie said. "You do love the attention" Shane opened his mouth to retort but stopped when he couldn't think of anything to defend himself. Mitchie grinned triumphantly. The smile was quick to fade when Steve laughed loudly.

"Tell me some stories about you and your mom" Shane said as he moved closer to Mitchie. Both were sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall and as far away from the conversation currently taking place as they could. Mitchie smiled as many memories flooded her memory.

"I remember this one time when it was Christmas. Mom brought told me to get my guitar and put on some warm clothes. I did as she asked really quickly because I really wanted to know what she had planned. I met her at the door and we walked out together. We walked down to the where the popular Christmas decorations had been put up. A group of our friends were already there and some others also had guitars and flutes and there was one violin. Mum quickly led me over and explained to me what was going to be happening. She had organised the group to perform a bunch of Christmas carols to people doing their night Christmas shopping. It was one of the best Christmases I've ever had" Mitchie said fondly. For the next 20 minutes, Mitchie told multiple stories to Shane about the adventures that she and her mom had had.

"Mitchie" Steve called out, causing Mitchie and Shane to stop talking.

"Yes?" Mitchie asked with no emotion in her voice.

"Come and sign these papers" Steve said. Mitchie had a strong urge to refuse but the social worker was staring intently at her so she decided it wouldn't be the best thing to do. With a groan, Mitchie stood to her feet and slowly made her way over to her dad.

"What am I doing?" Mitchie asked once she reached the table.

"We just need you to sign these papers telling us that your dad now has custody of you because of recent events" the social worker explained.

"How long do I have to stay with my dad?" Mitchie could help but ask. She could feel her dad glaring at her but she honestly didn't care.

"Because you are 18, you are free to leave once you have the money to be able to support yourself then you have no obligation to stay"

"Awesome" Mitchie said sweetly as she directed a very fake smile towards her dad. Shane noticed this and brought his hand up to his mouth to conceal his laugh. He stopped though when he saw the look that Steve was giving Mitchie. Mitchie seemed to notice it as well as she stopped smiling and turned away. "Can I leave now?" she asked. The social worker nodded and Mitchie was quick to get back to Shane.

"Everything cool?" Shane asked.

"Let's go back inside with the others" Mitchie said.

"Oh...umm.... sure" Shane said as he began to stand up. Mitchie noticed the changed tone in his voice.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Shane shook his head.

"Nah, nothing's wrong. I just thought we would spend some more time talking out here" Shane explained with a soft smile. Mitchie returned the smile and nodded her head.

"That would be nice" Mitchie said as the two returned to their spot on the ground. They continued to talk until it was late. When playing 20 questions, time can really escape you. Nate, Caitlyn and Jason walked out of the room slowly and looking really tired. Steve had also stayed around even though he really wanted to go home but because the social worker worked at the hospital, Steve had to keep up his act.

"Hey Mitch" Caitlyn said quietly. Mitchie looked up and smiled weakly at Caitlyn.

"How's she doing?"

"Same as before" Caitlyn answered as she dropped her head to look at her shoes.

"The doctor told us to go and get some sleep." Nate said to both Mitchie and Shane.

"Where are we going to go though? We don't exactly have a house to go back to" Mitchie said as she stood up and stretched her stiff limbs.

"We'll go and get a hotel room for the night" Jason said.

"We don't have money for that though" Caitlyn said as Mitchie came to stand next to her. The girls wrapped their arms around each other.

"We'll cover it" Shane said. The girls immediately shook their heads.

"No. We're not going to let you pay for us. We'll find somewhere else" Mitchie said. The three boys laughed.

"We want to do this. Besides, we want to sleep as well and we choose for us all to stay in a hotel" Nate said.

"But..." Mitchie started to say but Jason cut her off.

"Ever way the odds are in our favour. It's three to two"

"I think we've lost this one Mitch" Caitlyn whispered to Mitchie. Mitchie nodded slowly.

"It's not that bad" Shane said. "We have the money to pay for it"

"Can we pay you back then?" Mitchie asked.

"Nope. It's a one way deal" said Nate as he began to lead the girls out of the hospital. Mitchie looked back to her mom's door and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be hard but Mitchie knew that she was surrounded by people who were very willing to stick by her and Caitlyn through this time.

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**You guys are amazing! i just have to say that. This story has almost gotten to 300 reviews! I'm speechless at that! Thank you sooo much!**

**The next update will probably be after my exams which will be at the end of next week.... not going to have much time to write inbetween then. **

**xx**


	20. Chapter 20

J**Hey guys :) I'm Back! I have officially finished school forever!!!! lol. It feels sooo good. Now lets just hope I get into Uni next year  
So im really sorry that it has taken me this long to update. It was too much to write during exams and i have been busy this week and such but i have finally found time to do it. I'll get working on Bank Hiest 2 and writing as many chapters as i can of this story so that all i have to do is upload them. I've also got another story in the works... i think i've written about 6 chapters of it... its only going to be a short story... i think. You never know lol. This was only supposed to be a one-shot. Now look where we are :p  
This chapter is catching up on some of the Smitchie that has been left out. Hope you like it.  
So once i post this i'm going to get back to writing... all my stories coz i have many one-shots that i want to get written down.  
I also want to tell you that from November the 18th... i will no longer have my laptop to write on.. which im pretty upset about.. so im going to have to use our home computer for a while and that means updates are still going to be a little slow. I'll see if i can find a way around that for you.  
Anyway... enough of me rambling on... i think you have waited long enough for this chapter.  
ENJOY! **

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**Chapter 20**

The group had managed to find a cheap hotel room for the five of them for the night that was close to the hospital. Steve had decided to stay close as he didn't trust Mitchie or her friends and had gotten a room on the same floor as them. For Mitchie and Caitlyn, it had been a restless night with knowing what was to come in the morning.

It was about 3AM in the morning when Mitchie had woken up. Her mind was swamped with thoughts of her mom, her dad, Connect 3 and old events that had been brought up. Making sure that Caitlyn was sleeping soundly, she was surprised to see that Caitlyn's bed was empty. Glancing around, she saw two figures seated in the corner of the room talking in hushed voices.

"Cait?" Mitchie called out softly. The two people stopped talking.

"Is that you Mitch?" came Caitlyn's reply.

"Yea it's me. Who are you with?"

"Me" Nate said softly. Mitchie smiled before getting out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Caitlyn asked.

"Just out into the other room." Mitchie replied as she grabbed her notebook that was in her bag that had managed to survive the storm. Mitchie was overjoyed as her bag contained everything special to Mitchie. Her songbook which was full of songs and photos, her camera, phone, wallet and various other small things had managed to make it through the storm with Mitchie.

Quietly Mitchie made her way out into the other room and sat herself by the window. She didn't understand why the boys continued to pay or offer things to her and Caitlyn but she found it sweet. No boy had ever done that for the two of them before. Opening up her notebook, Mitchie grabbed a pen off the nearby table and wrote whatever came to her mind.

"Why are you still awake?" a voice asked, startling her. Mitchie's head snapped up and looked around to see Shane walking towards her slowly.

"I could ask you the same thing" Mitchie said with a smile. Shane returned the smile as he sat down on the other end of the window seat that Mitchie was on.

"Just thinking about everything that has happened in the last couple of days" Shane said.

"Same here" Mitchie said quietly as she looked out the window.

"Were you writing a new song?" Shane asked as he pointed to the notebook in Mitchie's lap.

"Attempting to" Mitchie replied as she looked down at her notebook.

"Can I have a look?" Shane asked quietly and Mitchie could tell that he wouldn't be offended if she said no.

"Maybe later" Mitchie said with a soft smile. Shane nodded in understanding before turning to look out the window. Mitchie looked down at her notebook and took note of the various lines she had written to remember them. _Fallin' for you, Art of Love, You Belong With Me. _Probably would be better if Shane didn't see those. They would raise questions that Mitchie wasn't sure if she would be able to answer honestly or even at all.

"A penny for your thoughts" Shane said suddenly, making Mitchie jump. She thought about it for a minute before speaking.

"Why must life be so confusing?" she asked, knowing that there was no real answer to it but she wanted something.

"I don't know," Shane answered after a moment's pause. "I think that life likes to challenge us and get us to work at what we're capable of doing and go even further than that. Life is an adventure that has no direct map"

"You sound really smart when you say things like that" Mitchie said with a small laugh. Shane smiled at her.

"It makes everyday interesting I guess"

"What about when you make mistakes or regret not making a decision?" Mitchie said as she turned to look out the window. She desperately wanted to know that answer as she had been in that position many times. Many times had people asked her to sing for them and every single time Mitchie had turned them down. Looking back now, Mitchie wished that she was courageous enough to have accepted those offers and she lived with the regret of not taking a chance.

"It's hard but you move on and learn from the mistakes that you have made. There's no point living in the past when the future is right in front of you. You know that you are going to make many more mistakes but that is just a part of life and that's what makes it a challenge" Shane said.

"What about what happens when your life is changed completely?" Mitchie asked so softly that Shane almost didn't hear her.

"What's got you thinking about all this?" Shane asked as he moved closer to Mitchie to be able to hear her.

"My mom. My dad. What's going to happen to me after tomorrow I guess" Mitchie said with a shrug. Shane quickly understood what was going through Mitchie's mind.

"Don't let your dad tell you what your future has to be. It's your future so you can decide what to do with it"

"My dad would never let me pursue what my heart wanted. You heard him at dinner" Mitchie said with a sigh as she looked down at her hands. She was surprised when she felt Shane place two fingers under her chin to lift her head up again.

"Don't cross everything out just yet. You don't have to live with your dad forever. Just be patient and everything will work out" Shane said softly and Mitchie could only nod her head. Shane had pretty much left her speechless right about now. For some reason, Shane's gaze had yet to leave Mitchie's and Mitchie found herself in the same position. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from Shane's. Very slowly did Shane lean in a little bit and stopped, worried that Mitchie might freak out. She gave him a small smile and the two started to lean in again. They were only inches apart when a loud crash caused them to jump apart. Mitchie was beet red while Shane ran his hand though his hair. They both snuck a look at each other before Mitchie smiled weakly at Shane. She jumped off the seat and grabbed her book.

"I... um think im... umm... I'm going to...to head back to bed now" Mitchie stumbled over her words which made Shane laugh slightly. Mitchie glared at him.

"It's not funny" She mumbled.

"Hey I don't blame you" Shane said. "I've been known to have that effect on girls" he finished with a smirk. Mitchie narrowed her eyes at him before picking up a cushion and launching it at his face. The force of the throw surprised Shane. He looked back at Mitchie to see that she was already walking back to her room. Shane smiled to himself before turning and looking out the window.

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**Just a bit of Shane and Mitchie fluff for you lol. I'm sorry that it is kinda short but i wanted to get something posted for you.  
I highly reccommened that you look up the songs mentioned above... they are awesome... especially coz one is an auzzie song by our own Guy Sebastian and Jordin Sparks sings in it as well. It's amazing :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Yo. So I thought I would let you know straight up that im not going to be able to update for about a week as im going away on schoolies in two days. I will be back next week and I'll try and write a chapter while im away. **

**So anyway I hope you like this chapter. It is a little sad because I was almost in tears while writing it. Not sure how many more chapters im going to be posting of this story because I sort of seem to keep adding things to it lol. **

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**Chapter 21**

"What's on your mind?" Caitlyn asked Mitchie silently as the group walked into the hospital. Mitchie looked up at the boys before pulling on Caitlyn's arm to make her slow down.

"You know how last night I went out into the other room?" Mitchie asked. Caitlyn nodded. "Well Shane came out as well and we got talking and such" Mitchie said.

"So why has that gotten you all jittery and stuff?" Caitlyn asked. She took one look at Mitchie's face and saw the blush that was making its way onto her cheeks. "Something else happened, didn't it?"

"He almost kissed me" Mitchie said quietly, worried that if she spoke any louder, someone might hear them.

"What?!" Caitlyn said a little too loudly causing the boys to stop and look at the two of them with identical looks of amusement on their faces. Caitlyn smiled and waved them off before she turned back to Mitchie. "Well what happened?"

"There was some loud crash and we both jumped back. Then I came back to bed" Mitchie said.

"This is awesome!" Caitlyn said. "Did you ever think you would ever come close to kissing Shane Grey, let alone twice?"

"Almost twice" Mitchie reminded her with a sigh. Caitlyn was quick to pick up on this.

"What's wrong? I thought you would be happy about all this" Caitlyn asked, immediately turning into the concerned friend.

"I thought I would be as well but I don't know. He just broke up with his girlfriend yesterday and…"

"You don't want to be the rebound?" Mitchie nodded.

"I don't want to think that last night I was the first person he found to talk to. I wouldn't want him to realise that kissing me would be a mistake"

"I'm sure that it wouldn't be a mistake Mitch" Caitlyn said softly. Mitchie shook her head.  
"I shouldn't even be thinking about this now. I've got other things to worry about now" Mitchie said softly as she gazed at the door that lead to her mother's room. They boys were standing in front of it, waiting for the girls.

"At least by doing this, she's not going to be in any more pain" Caitlyn said as she led Mitchie over to the door. The doctor had arrived now and gave Mitchie a sad smile.

"Are you ready Miss Torres?"

"Not really" Mitchie answered honestly. The doctor nodded in understanding before opening the door and allowing the group to walk in.

"I'll give you guys a moment to say goodbye before we go through with the process" the doctor said as he checked the charts before exiting the room. The group nodded.

"Go on Mitch" Caitlyn said quietly as she pushed her friend forward. Mitchie turned to look at the others.

"Come with me Cait? You're like a second daughter to her anyway" Mitchie said as she bit her lip and held her hand out to Caitlyn. Caitlyn nodded as she took Mitchie's hand. The girls both moved over to Connie's bed where she lay peacefully resting.

"Would you like us to wait outside?" Jason asked.

"No, it's okay. You can stay in here" Mitchie said as she turned back to look at them. "I'm sure that she would like that" The boys smiled sadly as they watched Mitchie and Caitlyn.

"I can't imagine having to go through all this" Shane said softly.

"I can" Nate said. The boys turned to look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked.

"When I was 5, I lost my little sister to cancer" Nate explained.

"And we're only finding this out now?" Shane asked. Nate shrugged.

"I don't particularly like to talk about it. It's still a sore subject at home" Shane and Jason looked at each other before looking over at the girls. They watched as both Mitchie and Caitlyn pressed a kiss to Connie's cheek. The doctor walked in shortly after.

"Are we ready?" he asked. Mitchie took a deep breath before nodding. The boys walked over to stand behind the girls. The doctor smiled sadly before walking over to the life support machine. Mitchie nodded to the doctor as tears started to build up in her eyes. The boys all placed comforting hands on Mitchie's back while Caitlyn grabbed her hand. A sigh escaped the doctor's lips before he slowly one by one turned off the life support systems that were keeping Connie alive. Mitchie reached for Shane's hand that wasn't resting on her back. Looking to her left, Mitchie saw that Caitlyn had moved closer to Nate and was looking to him for comfort. The machines continued to beep as they got slower and slower before it was finally one long sound, signalling that Connie was now gone. A sob didn't escape Mitchie's throat but her grip on Shane's hand tightened.

"I'm sorry" The doctor said as he approached Mitchie. "You are one brave teenager"

"Th… thank you" Mitchie managed to say. The doctor nodded before leaving the room. Shane and Jason elbowed Nate and motioned for him to speak to Mitchie.

"Hey Mitch?" Nate asked. Mitchie tore her eyes away and looked at Nate.

"Yea?"

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Mitchie nodded and made to move but something stopped her. Looking down, Mitchie realised that she still had a death grip on Shane's hand. Blushing, Mitchie released Shane's hand and tried not to look at his smirking face. She followed Nate to the other end of the room and seated themselves by the window. Mitchie took a deep breath to make her voice sound normal.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I just wanted to say that if you ever want anyone to talk to, I'm here"

"Thanks Nate" Mitchie said with a small smile. Nate smiled in return.

"It's just that I know what you are going through because I've been through the same thing. I lost my little sister to cancer years ago so I know what it's like to loose a loved one"

"How old?"

"I was five and my sister had just turned 2. We're not sure what happened but the doctors said the Melissa was born with something wrong with her brain and because she was so young, she didn't have the strength to fight it off" Nate explained with a sad smile.

"Does it get any easier?" Mitchie asked quietly. Nate shook his head.

"As much as I would love to say yes, it doesn't really. The pain may go away but it never gets easier to deal with. At least not for me"

"She was the only family I had"

"And now we're your new family" Nate said with a smile. Mitchie laughed softly.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would hear you say that to me"

"Well you two aren't any ordinary girls. You are the closest friends we have besides our own families" Mitchie leaned forward and hugged Nate.

"Thank you" she whispered. They pulled back to see Caitlyn walking towards them.

"Mitch" Caitlyn said as her voice broke. This caused tears to appear in Mitchie's eyes as she leapt up to hug her friend. The boys could only watch sadly as the girls tried to provide comfort to each other. Jason was the first to step forward. He walked up to the girls and wrapped his arms around both of them. Nate and Shane followed Jason's lead and also walked forward to hug the girls.

"Can…. can we leave?" Mitchie asked. "I don't want to stay in this room for much longer"

"Sure. Do you girls want to get a cup of coffee or tea?" Shane asked, smiling on the inside at the fact that Mitchie was once again leaning on him for support.

"That would be nice" Caitlyn said in a whisper. The boys nodded as they lead the girls out of the hospital room. As soon as they left the room, the group was met with blinding flashes and the sound of screaming fans.

"Shane!"

"Nate!"

"Jason!"

"Why are you in the hospital?"

"Are one of you sick or injured?"

"Who are the girls?"

"We have to get the girls out of here" Shane said to Nate. The sudden appearance of all these people seemed to have sent Mitchie into shock. Nate nodded and began to lead the girls away.

"Out of the way!" Jason shouted from in front of them.

"I can't….. I can't…" Mitchie started to say but the words got lost in her throat..

"It's going to be okay Mitchie" Mitchie heard Shane say in her ear.

"This way" Nate shouted. Mitchie and Shane looked up to see that a nurse was motioning for the group to hide away in the nurse's office. After a bit of a struggle, the boys managed to get the girls and themselves into the room without much hassle.

"What you poor kids go through these days" the nurse said as she brought a tray of tea to everyone.

"Thank you" Caitlyn said as the nurse handed her some tea.

"What's your name?" Jason asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"It's Jane"

"Thank you Jane" Nate said.

"It's alright. You guys looked like you really didn't want to be there" Jane said as she looked over at Mitchie. Mitchie was sitting still on the lounge with her arms wrapped around her knees. Jane walked over to her and offered the last cup of tea. Mitchie looked up and shook her head.

"No thank you" she whispered as a few tears leaked out of her eyes. Shane smiled sadly as he rubbed Mitchie's back.

"What happened dear?" Mitchie shook her head as more tears threatened to escape her eyes.

"I can't….. I ….." no more words could be formed at Mitchie finally broke down. Shane was quick to react by wrapping his arms around Mitchie and letting her cry. Jane looked on sympathetically. She turned to the others and realised that both girls looked to be equally upset.

"Her mom was taken off life support just before" Caitlyn explained in a weak voice.

"Oh the poor dear" Jane said as she looked back at Mitchie. "I'm guessing that the crowd of people outside the room didn't help much?"

"It was no help at all" Nate said.

"So how long you guys all known each other? You seem like a pretty tight bunch with you boys being celebrities and all"

"We've only known each other for about three days" Jason said. This comment caused everyone to laugh, including a small laugh from Mitchie. Jane was surprised.

"Are you kids being serious? You have only known each other for three days?"

"It's about that. We met on the day of the Christmas parade" Caitlyn said.

"And how did that end up with you guys in here?"

"The girl's town was hit by a tornado the other day and Mitchie's mom was injured because of it" Nate explained.

"I'm sorry dear" Jane said, addressing Mitchie. Mitchie smiled sadly as she took comfort by Shane. Jane walked over to the office door and looked out the window.

"I'm afraid that the crowd has yet to thin out"

"Do you mind if we wait in here for a while?" Caitlyn asked.

"You can stay in here all you want" Jane said. "I'm afraid that I have to get back to work but I'll arrange for someone to come in and bring you some food"

"Thank you" everyone chorused. Jane nodded before stepping out of the room. Screams could be heard before the door closed again.

"How did they know that you were here?" Mitchie asked in a small voice.

"I have no idea" Nate said. "But then again, we haven't exactly been careful on if we have been seen or not"

"That's true" Jason said with a sigh.

"It's okay though" Caitlyn said. "At least we're still together"

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"It doesn't seem real" Mitchie said softly to Shane after a while. The group had been in the room for about an hour and during that time a plate of food had been brought in as well as news that the crowd was starting to thin.

"What doesn't?" Shane asked.

"The fact that she's really gone. It doesn't seem real" Mitchie said. Shane tightened his arm around her.

"At least she's in a better place now"

"I know" Mitchie said with a sigh as she rested her head on Shane's chest. Shane pressed a kiss to the top of Mitchie's head.

"We're going to be here for you every step of the way" he whispered.

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**So thats the end of chapter 21 :D wooooo**

**I will try and write an awesome chapter for you when i get back from my holiday.**

**xx  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**Oh my gosh! I am sooo sorry that i haven't updated in a while. Things have been pretty hectic lately and i've had a bit of a writers block for this story. Which is why this chapter is a little short. I've had music auditions, christmas productions and various other programs that im part of doing end of year christmas things. I've also graduated from school so i am officially finished with school! It's so awesome. I get my results on monday... so fingers crossed i did okay lol. **

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**Chapter 22**

After a few hours, the crowd outside realised that neither the boys nor the girls were going to venture out any time soon. Mitchie wanted to stay in the room for longer because that meant preventing what was to come now. Jason had gotten up to look out the window and sighed in relief when nobody was out there.

"It's all clear now"

"Finally" Caitlyn said. Jason smiled and unlocked the door. Just as he opened it, someone burst into the room. No one said anything at Mitchie's dad looked around at everyone. He stopped when his eyes fell on Mitchie.

"Come Mitchie, we're leaving now" he said. Mitchie straightened up.

"What? Now?"

"Yes now. We have an appointment in two hours" Mitchie stood up with Shane.

"What appointment?" Steve sighed.

"An appointment at a college for you. It's really important so we have to leave now" Mitchie winced at Steve's hard tone and when she realised what Steve was talking about.

"And there goes the thoughts of a music career" Mitchie whispered to Shane. Shane smiled sympathetically. "Can I at least say goodbye to everyone?" Mitchie directed towards her dad.

"Make it quick" Steve said as he walked out of the room. Mitchie made at face at her fathers retreating back before turning to everyone. Jason was the first to embrace her in a hug.

"You are one of a kind Mitchie" he said softly to her.

"Thanks Jase" Mitchie said as she pulled back. She moved to hug Nate next.

"Remember I'm here if you want to talk to someone"

"I will" Mitchie said as she hugged Nate. A weak smile made its way onto Mitchie's face as she went to hug Shane. "Thank you for everything today"

"It was no problem" Shane said. Mitchie pulled away and leant up to press a quick kiss to Shane's cheek before walking over to Caitlyn. The girls embraced each other in a tight hug and didn't notice the boys smirking at Shane. The moment was ruined when Steve came back into the room.

"Mitchie it's time to go now!" Pulling away from Caitlyn with a groan, Mitchie turned to look at her dad.

"I'm coming" she said. "Bye guys" Mitchie said to everyone before following her dad out of the room. "I'll let you know when the funeral will be"

"Bye" everyone chorused as the door closed. Caitlyn sighed.

"What now?"

"I've got an idea" Jason said. "But it will require us going back to Canatella"

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know but I know that it will help you and Mitchie" Jason said as he looked over at Caitlyn.

"Can't you guys get Mitchie some sort of job? You know that she loves music and you've seen her songs. I wouldn't ask you this unless it was really necessary" Caitlyn said, nervously asking the question.

"Don't worry. I'm working on that as well" Jason said. "But we have to leave now"

"Let's go" Nate said as he ushered everyone out of the room. He reached over and grabbed Caitlyn's hand as the group walked quickly through the hallways.

After getting into their car, Caitlyn, Nate and Shane were all wondering what Jason was planning.

"What is going through your mind?" Shane asked Jason once the car had started to move. Jason gave the driver the directions before turning to face everyone.

"I'm sure that everyone from your home is going to be devastated that everything is ruined from the tornado. Am I right?"

"I guess" Caitlyn said, trying to figure out where the conversation was headed.

"And I speak for the three of us when we say that after meeting you and Mitchie, we haven't felt this much at home in a long time"

"That's true" Shane said as he looked at Nate.

"I was thinking that maybe we could put on a benefit concert to raise money to help rebuild the town. We can advertise it in the city and get people to donate money"

"That's an awesome idea!" Nate said with a smile.

"You would seriously do that?" Caitlyn asked in shock. The boys nodded.

"But what was the part to do with Mitchie?" Nate asked.

"Well the Shane was saying that the social worker told Mitchie that she could leave her dad if she had enough money to support herself. If we could get Mitchie some sort of job with us, Mitchie could be earning enough money and come on the road with us which would mean that she wouldn't have to be with her dad" Jason explained.

"Why are you doing this?" Caitlyn asked. Jason smiled.

"Even if I have only known you two for a couple of days, I consider you and Mitchie as sisters to me. I don't know if I can say the same thing for Nate and Shane," Jason said pointedly to the other boys who blushed. "You two have helped us and now we want to help you." Caitlyn smiled as she leant forward and hugged Jason.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"No problem" Jason said with a grin. "So lets plan out how we are going to go about this"

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**I am really sorry that this is short but i wanted to get something posted for you :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey Guys. I'm back with another chapter. I'm sad to say that this story is coming to an end soon. There's not much more to write unless i extend it to have a sequel... but that's up to you to decide. That reminds me to get back to work on Bank Hiest 2.... im at a serious block with that story. I'll try to get it going again. :)**

**4 DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS!!!!  
**

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**Chapter 23**

Mitchie sighed as she looked out the window of her new room. After leaving the hospital, Mitchie's dad had dragged her across town to various interviews at multiple colleges for courses on teaching. There was nothing music related at all. Of course Caitlyn and the guys had texted her throughout the day which made things a little better. They would remind her that her mom would be proud of her for not giving up on her dreams. Of course being reminded of her mom only made Mitchie upset but she didn't want to cry in front of her dad. That would only supply him with another reason for him to criticize her. Looking back around the room, Mitchie hated how plain it was. There were no pictures or anything. There was a bed and a desk and that was it. Even the bedspread was boring brown color.

"Mitchie! Dinner's ready!" Mitchie heard her dad call from the kitchen. With a sigh, Mitchie left her room and made her way through the house, stopping at the kitchen.

"What are we having?" she asked.

"Stir fry" Steve answered without looking at Mitchie. He kept his eyes focused on the small TV that was by the table. Mitchie slowly made her way over to the stove and looked in the pan. Whatever was in there did not look like Stir Fry.

"Um… I'm not hungry" Mitchie said as she backed away. Steve shrugged.

"Suit yourself" Mitchie glared at her dad before walking out of the kitchen. Lucky for her, she still had some snack food in her bag with her. That should be enough until morning. She could always come back later at night and raid the cupboards as well. Reaching her room, Mitchie took notice that her phone was flashing, signalling a message. Smiling at who the sender was, Mitchie opened it.

_Hey Mitch. Wish you could be here. I need another girl around here. Will see you soon chicka! Xx Cait_

Mitchie desperately wished that she was with the others. She needed someone she was close to for comfort. Instead of Mitchie's mind going automatically to Caitlyn, it went to Caitlyn as well as the boys. It was almost coming up to a week that the girls had known the boys but it felt like much longer.

"Who would have thought?" Mitchie quietly asked herself with a laugh. Realising that there was nothing else to do, Mitchie fished out her songbook. Turning to a blank page, Mitchie began to let out her emotions. Most of her thoughts centred on Shane.

_I've been spending all my time_

_Just thinking about ya_

_I don't know what to do_

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I've been waiting all my life_

_and now I found ya_

_I don't know what to do_

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I'm fallin' for you_

Reading her new lyrics, Mitchie smiled to herself before she looked at the time. It was half past eleven already. Putting her book away, Mitchie crawled into the bed and tried to get comfortable. She imagined what would happen if Shane found out about this song. She fell asleep dreaming of herself playing it to a crowd of people, Shane being part of that crowd and her eyes on his the whole time.

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Mitchie awoke the next morning and memories of her dream came back to her. She had been playing her songs and singing them in front of a crowd. She had sung a song that she had wrote about Shane to him. Thinking about Shane made Mitchie think about the day that they met, which then made Mitchie think about Christmas. It was with a heavy heart realised that she would be spending Christmas morning with her dad. There would be no more hot chocolates, presents and then some Christmas morning cartoons before heading off to see the relatives for lunch and dinner.

"I wonder what the guys are doing for Christmas." Mitchie asked herself as she got out of bed. An idea sprung into Mitchie's head of the girls spending Christmas with the boys. She shook the thought away because of how crazy it sounded. After having a shower and a quick breakfast, Mitchie retreated up to her room, happy to spend as little time with her dad as she could. In the middle of finishing off the song that she had started last night, Mitchie's phone began to ring. Not bothering to check the caller ID, Mitchie picked it up and answered it in a bored tone.

"Hello?"

"Mitch?" Caitlyn's voice came through with a laugh. Mitchie immediately perked up.

"Hey!"

"How are you holding up?"

"I've been better" Mitchie answered. "I've passed time by writing songs"

"That's great. Listen Mitchie, we have a plan" Caitlyn said. Mitchie sat up straighter and checked her doorway to make sure her dad wasn't close by.

"What kind of plan?"

"One that is going to enable you to get away from your dad" Caitlyn said and Mitchie could almost picture the smile on her face as she said this.

"Are you serious? How are you going to do that?"

"What we need you to do is pack a bag and tell your dad you are going for a walk. We'll pick you up as we come past"

"How long?" Mitchie asked as she began to get her bag ready.

"We'll be there in twenty minutes" Caitlyn said with a laugh. The girls said goodbye and Mitchie was quick to gather her things together. Making sure she had everything she needed, Mitchie started to make her way towards the door. Passing the living room, Mitchie looked in and realised that her dad was fast asleep. Smiling to herself, Mitchie waved to her dad before she slipped out of the house and began to walk down the road. Humming the tune of her new song, Mitchie was too caught up to notice the car headed her way.

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn called out excitedly as the car came to a stop. Mitchie spun around and grinned when she saw her friend. Caitlyn jumped out of the car and ran to hug Mitchie.

"I feel like such a rebel" Mitchie said with a laugh. "Sneaking out of the house and all"

"You've got to do it at least once" Nate said as the boys joined them. Mitchie grinned.

"We've got a plan that we know will make your mom proud of you" Caitlyn said to Mitchie. Mitchie smiled sadly.

"What is it?"

"We'll tell you on the way" Shane said as he motioned for the girls to get into the car. Everyone climbed in and the boys told the driver to continue to where they were headed.

"So how was your night with your dad?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie groaned.

"It was horrible. Everything is so plain and boring, and don't even get me started on the food. I would probably be better off if I was living outside the house"

"It will all work out" Nate said.

"So what's this plan I've heard about?" Mitchie asked after a few minutes. She watched as everyone smiled at her.

"The boys are going to put on a benefit concert to help raise money to rebuild Canatella" Caitlyn said. Mitchie felt her jaw drop.

"Are….are you serious?" she asked.

"We're serious" Shane said. "We can get enough publicity to get people to notice and therefore raise more money"

"But….. but why?" Mitchie asked. She was sure that she was in a dream now.

"Because we simply want to help you" Jason said.

"But how will this help me and my living arrangements now?"

"That's another part of the surprise that you'll get later" Nate said. Mitchie pouted and slouched in her chair.

"I don't like waiting" Mitchie mumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear which caused them to laugh.

"You'll be happy that you did" Caitlyn said.

"So is it just you guys that are going to be performing?" Mitchie asked, knowing that it would be useless to question everyone about the next part of the surprise.

"Well that's the part where we were going to ask you if you wanted to." Shane said.

"Pardon?" Mitchie asked. They couldn't seriously be asking her to sing at a benefit concert.

"Would you be part of line up for the concert? We've already got some of the local bands lined up to play" Jason said. Mitchie started to panic.

"I.. I can't….. I can't perform on stage" Caitlyn knelt down in front of Mitchie.

"Yes you can Mitchie. You've already gotten yourself to sing in front of these three" Caitlyn said as she gestured to the boys.

"Would I play with though? What would I sing?" Mitchie asked. Caitlyn smiled, knowing that Mitchie was slowly giving in.

"We can play with you" Nate said.

"And you've got plenty of songs that you can sing" Caitlyn said. Mitchie opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she saw everyone looking at her. Looking out the window and then back at everyone, Mitchie gave a sigh and nodded her head. Caitlyn squealed and was quick to hug Mitchie.

"So when is the concert?"

"In two days time" Jason said. "And we have a lot to get done by then"

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**The next chapter should be a little more interesting than this one. This is sort of just a filler chapter.  
**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey Guys. I'm really sorry that it is taking me soo long to update, but Christmas and the New Years was pretty busy for me. By the way, HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE. I hope that everyone had a good night. It rained for us so we couldn't go outside to watch the fireworks, we resolved to watching them on the tv lol. Did everyone have a good Christmas? **

**I've written a pretty long chapter for you guys. It's 7 pages long! I'm hoping to now move the story onto more happier times. It's been sad and I'm also trying to slow it down a little because I think that everything seems rushed. But then again, it's up to you guys on what you think. I would appreciate some thoughts on it. **

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**Chapter 24**

There was barely time to rest over the next day. Every minute was dedicated to planning the concert and ensuring that Mitchie's dad wouldn't catch them. While Caitlyn gathered people to help put together the stage and flyers, the boys and Mitchie spent their time working on the music and trying to get people and news stations across the country to recognise what was going on. Mitchie often kept to herself when working on some of her songs because she wanted to avoid questions from the boys. Other than that, the boys had recruited Mitchie to sing back-up for them when they performed and then they would step aside and allow Mitchie to sing some of her songs while they played with her. Although it was hard work, everyone managed to get everything done on time.

Evening came around and the group took themselves a well earned break. Relaxing over pizza, the boys continued to add a few notes to their songs while the girls relaxed on the couch and talked.

"So how are you feeling about tomorrow?" Caitlyn asked as she took a sip of her drink. Mitchie shrugged.

"I don't really know. I've been keeping myself really busy today so that I don't think about it" Mitchie answered.

"You're going to be fine" Caitlyn said. "This is the break that you have been looking for"

"I know, I know, but I just don't think that I'm ready" Mitchie said. Caitlyn sighed.

"You love to sing right?" Mitchie nodded. "Then you're ready" Mitchie bit her lip as she knew there was no point in arguing.

"Let's talk about something else, shall we?" Mitchie asked, wanting to move onto a different topic. Caitlyn smiled.

"Alright" she said as she leaned in. Lowering her voice into a whisper now, Caitlyn asked "How are things with Shane?" Mitchie immediately blushed. "Well?"

"Nothing else has happened"

"But you want it too, right?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie nodded.

"Yeah, I would like something to happen" Caitlyn smiled sympathetically.

"Just hang in there. I'm sure he'll come around" Mitchie sighed as she stood up.

"It's just wishful thinking on my part Cait" Mitchie said as she walked into the kitchen of their hotel room. The group had managed to find a hotel just outside of the town that had not managed to be destroyed by the tornado.

"Is Mitchie alright?" Jason asked, having seen Mitchie walk off into the kitchen.

"She's fine. She's just nervous about tomorrow" Caitlyn said with a smile. Jason nodded before turning back to the conversation with the other two.

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Mitchie awoke the next morning after a restless sleep. She sat quietly at the table while everyone else ate breakfast.

"You need to eat something Mitch" Caitlyn said.

"I'm not hungry" Mitchie said as she twirled the straw around in her juice.

"We know how you're feeling Mitchie but not eating won't calm the nerves" Shane said. Mitchie smiled weakly.

"I feel like if I eat, I'm going to be sick" she explained to everyone.

"I know it feels like that, but eating will settle your stomach" Nate said.

"We won't stop pestering you until you do" Jason added as he sipped his coffee. Mitchie heaved a sigh of defeat before picking up her slice of toast and taking a bite. Feeling satisfied, everyone turned back to their own breakfast. The more Mitchie ate, the better and calmer she began to feel.

"I'm going to take a shower" Mitchie said once she had finished breakfast. Caitlyn smiled at Mitchie before returning to her conversation with Nate. The hot shower helped Mitchie calm down some more. Running over the songs in her head, Mitchie had to admit that she was a little excited about being able to sing with the boys. Shutting off the water, Mitchie stepped out of the shower, dried herself and got dressed. Leaving her head to dry naturally, Mitchie brushed her teeth before exiting the bathroom.

"Hey Mitchie, we're going over some of the songs now before we leave" Nate said. "We need you over here" Mitchie smiled as she made her way over to the boys.

"We're working on SOS right now because that's the one we've had a little trouble with" Shane explained.

"We want to try and get it almost right with you before we leave"

"That's fine" Mitchie said as she made herself comfortable. The boys started to play the chorus so that Mitchie could practise with them.

"It's sounding great you guys" Caitlyn said as she walked into the room pulling her hair up into a messy bun.

"It's sounding better than yesterday" Jason said. "We'll work on the duet this afternoon" Jason directed at Mitchie. Mitchie smiled and nodded as she walked over to Caitlyn.

"You should talk to Shane you know" Caitlyn said quietly to Mitchie. Mitchie sighed.

"And tell him what Cait?"

"Just tell him the truth. Look, we all know that he cares about you and you know it as well"

"Can we just leave it Cait? I'm pretty sure that some of the songs that I'm singing today will give away something" Mitchie said as she walked into the kitchen. Caitlyn sighed and continued to get ready.

Half an hour later everyone was on their way to where the concert was being held. The boys had managed to get a few news stations to cover the event as well as some newspapers. Neighbouring towns had donated their time to making food and activities for some of the younger children.

"This place looks really good" Mitchie commented once the car had stopped.

"Let's just hope that the weather holds out on us" Shane said as he looked at the sky. Mitchie smiled as she also looked at the sky.

"Well whatever happens, I'm sure it will add to the excitement"

"Come on, we have to rehearse and get through the whole thing" Shane said as she motioned for Mitchie to follow him. Mitchie paled slightly when she realised what Shane had said. She was going to have to sing each of her songs for the run through. Taking a deep breath, Mitchie grabbed her stuff and followed everyone to the stage.

"Alright, so we're going to start with _Live to Party _and then follow with SOS, Burnin' Up, Hello Beautiful, That's Just The Way We Roll and then we'll bring in Mitchie's duet with us" Nate explained. "And then Mitchie, you can work out what order you want to perform your songs" Mitchie nodded silently, trying to believe that this was all about to happen.

"Come on Mitch" Caitlyn said, snapping Mitchie out of her thoughts. Mitchie gave Caitlyn a small smile before stepping onto the stage with the boys.

"Just relax and have fun Mitchie. That's the secret" Jason said with a smile. "We're gonna be right here with you"

"Thanks Jase" Mitchie said as she took her spot by her microphone. Nate counted in and the band started up. Looking around, Mitchie saw Shane smile at her before starting to sing. Mitchie slowly got more comfortable on the stage and remembered to sing where she was supposed to. Eventually they all got through the boys set and it was time for Mitchie to step forward and sing with the boys, not just backup now. Getting encouraging smiles from the boys and Caitlyn, Mitchie started to softly sing her song, She was thankful that the boys were singing along with her and that they weren't going to be leaving the stage when she performed on her own. After going through her set, Mitchie made sure to leave out her last song. She didn't want the boys to ask questions about it. That would only make her more nervous. Caitlyn knew about this plan and was supporting Mitchie 100%.

"Alright everyone" Nate called out. "We've got two hours before the show. We would all like to thank you for the hard work you have put in on such short notice" Nate said as he addressed everyone. Everyone clapped each other before returning back to work.

"Come on Mitch" Caitlyn said with a look at Mitchie. Mitchie looked at Caitlyn and smiled before following her.

"Where are they going?" Nate asked as the boys watched the girls walk away.

"Should we find out?" Jason asked. The boys all looked at each other before shrugging and slowly following the girls.

Caitlyn led Mitchie to a tent that had been set up.

"I want to hear this finished song" Caitlyn said as she followed Mitchie in. Mitchie smiled as she took a seat on the ground and grabbed the guitar that was in the room. Caitlyn got herself comfortable and listened as Mitchie started to strum the guitar. Mitchie grinned as she sang the song for Caitlyn. Caitlyn had seen the boys pause outside the tent and listen to Mitchie sing before walking away.

"What do you think?" Mitchie asked once she finished the song.

"It's awesome Mitch. Everyone's going to love it"

"I don't care who likes it and who doesn't, I just want one person to like it"

"I'm sure he will Mitchie. How can he not?"

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see until after the concert" Mitchie said as she placed the guitar down and stood up. "Let's go and get some food"

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Mitchie looked out from behind the stage at the amount of people getting ready to watch the concert. There were plenty of Connect 3 signs.

"You can do this Mitchie" Mitchie said quietly to herself.

"Of course you can do this" Shane said suddenly, causing Mitchie to jump.

"Don't scare me like that" Mitchie said. Shane laughed.

"Sorry"

"There are so many people out there" Mitchie said quietly, sneaking another look out at everyone. She failed to notice her dad sitting right at the back.

"Don't worry about that. Just go out there and have fun" Shane said as he wrapped an arm around Mitchie. Mitchie leant into the embrace.

"Come on everyone!" Jason called out. "It's show time"

The cheer from the crowd was almost deafening to Mitchie. She could see that a few people wore confused looks as to why she was up on stage with this very popular band.

"Hey everyone!" Shane shouted into the microphone. Mitchie laughed at the response. There was once a time when she and Caitlyn were exactly like that. "We would like to thank you guys for coming out here this afternoon to help this town. So we would like you to sit back, relax and let us bring you a good time" There were cheers again before the intro to the first song started up. Caitlyn could see that Mitchie was visibly nervous as she wasn't moving very much. The song ended and the cheers rung throughout Mitchie's ears. The boys grinned at Mitchie before turning to the crowd.

"That was great everyone!" Jason shouted.

"We'd like to take the time now to introduce ourselves" Nate said. "I'm Nate"

"I'm Jason"

"I'm Shane, and this is our newest backup singer Mitchie" Shane said, gesturing to Mitchie. Mitchie blushed and smiled while people clapped for her. She could hear the cheers from the people that she knew. Shane smiled at Mitchie while the boys started up the next song. Mitchie was more relaxed as she got more comfortable on stage. All too soon the boys set ended and it was time for Mitchie's duet with the boys.

"We'd like you to please welcome to the front of the stage, Mitchie Torres" Nate said. Mitchie smiled nervously as she walked up to where the boys were standing. Nate nodded to Mitchie to say something.

"H…hey guys" Mitchie started. "This next song is an original one of mine and the boys here have agreed to sing it with me today. I hope you like it" Mitchie took a deep breath as the song started and Shane sang the opening lines.

_Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world  
She took the midnight train goin anywhere_

Getting an encouraging look from Caitlyn, Mitchie sang out her line.

_  
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit  
He took the midnight train goin anywhere_

The crowd were surprised at Mitchie's talent. A lot of people knew that she loved music but they didn't know how much she loved it. Smiling widely at Shane, Mitchie continued with the song.

_A singer in a smokey room  
A smell of wine and cheap perfume  
For a smile they can share the night  
It goes on and on and on and on_

_Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard  
Their shadows searching in the night  
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion  
Hiding, somewhere in the night_

_Working hard to get my fill,  
Everybody wants a thrill  
Payin anything to roll the dice,  
Just one more time  
Some will win, some will lose  
Some were born to sing the blues  
Oh, the movie never ends  
It goes on and on and on and on_

_Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard  
Their shadows searching in the night  
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion  
Hiding, somewhere in the night_

_Don't stop believin  
Hold on to the feelin  
Streetlight people_

_Don't Stop!_

The four finished the song and were greeted by the sound of people standing to their feet and cheering loudly. Mitchie couldn't help that her mouth fell open at the response. She barely noticed the boys congratulating her. All she knew now was that she now had to perform solo.

"How incredible was that?" Jason asked. Everyone nodded and continued to clap and cheer. "Mitchie now has a few more of her own songs that she would like to perform for you, so please give it up for Mitchie Torres!" Mitchie placed the microphone in the stand and looked out at everyone.

"This is a song that I wrote the day of the tornado. It's called _Believe_" Mitchie said as she introduced her first song. She signalled for the boys to start playing. Closing her eyes, Mitchie began the song. Although Mitchie's set was only small, the boys were proud of her. They were surprised that Mitchie was singing the English version of a song that they had heard her playing that day at the recording studio. They found out the song was called _This Is Me_ and that it fit in perfectly with Mitchie. She also sang a song that she had written about her friendship with Caitlyn. After finishing what the boys thought was the last song, Mitchie called for the stage crew to bring up the stool and acoustic guitar. Looking back at Caitlyn, Mitchie received a thumbs up. She spared a look at the boys and could see that they were confused as to why there was an extra song for Mitchie. Hearing thunder rumble in the distance, Mitchie laughed.

"I've always dreamed about playing a song in the rain" Mitchie said which earned laughs from everyone. "This is my last song and I only wrote it a few days ago. It's a special song for me and it holds a lot of meaning" Looking out at everyone, Mitchie let out a quiet gasp when she saw her dad down the back. He had no look of emotion on his face at all. "It's called _Fallin' For You_"

_I don't know but_

_I think I maybe_

_Fallin' for you_

_Dropping so quickly_

_Maybe I should_

_Keep this to myself_

_Waiting 'til I_

_Know you better_

_I am trying_

_Not to tell you_

_But I want to_

_I'm scared of what you'll say_

_So I'm hiding what I'm feeling_

_But I'm tired of_

_Holding this inside my head_

_I've been spending all my time_

_Just thinking about ya_

_I don't know what to do_

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I've been waiting all my life_

_and now I found ya_

_I don't know what to do_

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I'm fallin' for you_

_As I'm standing here_

_And you hold my hand_

_Pull me towards you_

_And we start to dance_

_All around us_

_I see nobody_

_Here in silence_

_It's just you and me_

_I'm trying_

_Not to tell you_

_But I want to_

_I'm scared of what you'll say_

_So I'm hiding what I'm feeling_

_But I'm tired of_

_Holding this inside my head_

Just like Mitchie had wanted, a light rain had started to fall as she sang. She could hear the laughs of people and see them smiling up at her. Mitchie laughed and smiled with them as she continued to sing.

_I've been spending all my time_

_Just thinking about ya_

_I don't know what to do_

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I've been waiting all my life_

_and now I found ya_

_I don't know what to do_

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I'm fallin' for you_

_Oh I just can't take it_

_My heart is racing_

_The emotions keep spinning out_

_I've been spending all my time_

_Just thinking about ya_

_I don't know what to do_

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I've been waiting all my life_

_and now I found ya_

_I don't know what to do_

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I'm fallin' for you_

_I can't stop thinking about it_

_I want you all around me_

_And now I just can't hide it_

_I think I'm fallin' for you (x2)_

_I'm fallin' for you_

_Ooohhh_

_Oh no no_

_Oooooohhh_

_Oh I'm fallin' for you_

Mitchie ended the song and stood up. She had been glancing back at the boys to see what they were thinking. They were standing by Caitlyn and cheered for her along with everyone else. She avoided Shane's gaze because she knew that he would most likely have questions. The rain had continued to fall, much to Mitchie's delight.

"Thank you" Mitchie said to the crowd before walking off, stealing one last glace at her dad. Her heart started to race when she realised that he was headed in her direction. Nate grinned at Mitchie as he made his way out.

"How's everyone doing so far?" Nate asked everyone. The crowd screamed in response. "Well I'm afraid that's the end of our performance but we have a few of the local bands and singers lined up for you for the rest of the afternoon as you walk around and look at some of the activities set up. We also have a refreshment tent set up at the back. Please be back here at six for a special announcement. Thank you" Nate said as he ran off the stage. "Where did that last song come from?" he directed at Mitchie. Everyone now focused their attention on Mitchie. Mitchie shrugged.

"I wrote it while I was at my dad's place" Mitchie answered, keeping to her plan of avoiding Shane's eyes. Jason was the one to notice this.

"It was a beautiful song Mitch" Caitlyn said. "And you were awesome up on stage!" Mitchie laughed.

"It was fun"

"Didn't we tell you?" Jason asked. Mitchie smiled and nodded.

"So who was the song about?" Nate asked suddenly, causing Mitchie to freeze up slightly. She blushed and looked down at the ground.

"Well… umm..." Mitchie's words were cut short as a new voice cut through.

"Mitchie Torres!" Mitchie closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them and looked at everyone. They all held looks of shock and even a little bit of fear. Taking a deep breath, Mitchie turned around to look at her dad.

"What?" She asked.

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**I've only come up with that ending in the last few days... it wasn't really a planned part of the story. I'm going to try and get another chapter up before i go away next week. **

**xx  
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	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys. I'm sorry it's taken me a while to update. I was away on holiday. A week on the beach. It was very nice. **** I've got another story that I was working on while I was away that I'm going to write up on the computer and post soon. I would also like to thank HCGgurl for her constant reviews and the ideas she gave me. I did help me a lot to work out parts of the story that I was stuck on.**

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**Chapter 25  
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Mitchie refused to let her dad intimate her. She was doing something that she loved and her dad wasn't about to take that away from her.

"Can I talk to you in private?" Steve asked with the look on his face remaining stern.

"I'd rather not" Mitchie said.

"Don't make me force you"

"Look, whatever you have to say you can say it in front of everyone" Mitchie said. Steve sighed.

"I would rather not congratulate you in front of your friends" Steve said. Mitchie felt her mouth drop open. Her dad wanted to congratulate her? Sneaking a look at everyone else, Mitchie saw that they had the same reaction.

"How long have you been here?"

"I came down as soon as I heard the news about this on the radio. I figured this would be a good place to start looking for you"

"So you saw the whole concert?" Caitlyn asked slowly. Steve nodded.

"What did you think of Mitchie's performance?" Jason asked. Mitchie held her breath for her dad's answer.

"She was better than I expected," Steve said slowly, almost as if it was awkward and uncomfortable for him to say it. "but that doesn't mean that I want you to follow a career made from all this" Mitchie sighed. Of course her dad being nice to her for one whole conversation was too good to be true.

"What if I know that I can get somewhere with this?" Mitchie argued. "Don't you think that I would know what's better for me? That I know what I can and can't do?" Steve sighed.

"Look I've just seen you Mitchie and I know that you're good but I just don't think that you have what it takes. I stand by my decision for you to become a teacher or to do something useful with your life" Mitchie glared at her dad. If her confidence wasn't already low, it was now.

"This conversation is over" Mitchie said as she walked away. The boys and Caitlyn followed Mitchie. They were so sure that Mitchie's dad was going to try and reconcile with her. Maybe he would once he saw how far Mitchie could get.

"You okay Mitch?" Caitlyn asked once they caught up. Mitchie nodded.

"I'm not going to worry about that. I've got other things on my mind" Mitchie said with a smile.

"Like what?" Nate asked.

"Like the fact I've just performed in front of all these people and didn't throw up or faint!" Mitchie said. The others laughed. "It feels like it was all just a dream"

"Well it wasn't a dream and you were awesome up there!" Jason said. "You really have a gift with your songs. I could see people connecting with your songs" Mitchie smiled.

"That's all I've ever wanted" Caitlyn grinned as she gave Mitchie a hug.

''You're on your way Mitch''

"Thanks"

"I've also got a surprise for you" Caitlyn said. Mitchie's raised her eyebrows. "I recorded your performance to send to Jake"

"You what?!" Mitchie asked. "Why would you do that?"

"Because like me, my brother knew that you had it in you and I recorded it for him so that he wouldn't feel like he missed it" Caitlyn explained.

"When does he get home? I miss my big brother" Mitchie asked. She hadn't seen Jake in forever. She looked to him as a father figure and older brother as he was the only guy that had stuck around with her and her mom and his own sister through thick and thin. He had helped Mitchie through a lot, mostly through events after the disaster prom.

"I don't know. Last time I spoke to him he said he was swamped with uni assignments and didn't have the money to fly here" Caitlyn said. Mitchie sighed.

"It's not fair"

"Tell me about it"

"We could help you out if you wanted" Jason said suddenly, startling the girls. They both immediately shook their heads.

"No. Seriously don't. You've done enough for us already. We don't need you doing any more" Caitlyn said. The boys laughed.

"It's no problem for us, really" Nate said. "If you really want to see your brother, we don't mind paying for his trip here"

"Why do you keep offering to do things for us? We're not doing anything for you" Mitchie said softly. She didn't want to keep taking what the boys offered without doing something for them in return.

"You two have proven to be some of our closest friends, no matter what length of time we've known each other. This is sort of like our way of saying thank you" Jason said. Caitlyn opened her mouth to say something.

"Look, we have the money to be able to do things like this. We feel good about spending it on you two"

"But we feel guilty" Mitchie said with a smile.

"Well then we'll just have to get you used to it" Shane said with a smile.

"So do we make a mad dash for our tent or just stay here?" Caitlyn asked. The rain was still coming down but not enough to make everyone leave.

"I'll race you" Mitchie said to Caitlyn. Caitlyn grinned.

"You're on. Can one of you guys count us?" Caitlyn asked. Nate nodded.

"On your marks, get set," The girls took their positions, waiting for their mark. "Go!" Nate shouted and the girls took off. The boys were surprised at the speed the girls had and they could see that it was going to be a close call as the girls were neck and neck.

"They sure can run fast" Jason said.

"Let's go" Nate said as he started to follow the girls, bringing his jacket up to cover his head from the rain. Shane and Jason jogged after him.

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The girls reached the tent in a fit of laughter and collapsed on the ground.

"We haven't run like that in ages" Mitchie said as she tried to regain her breath.

"Hello, this is why we were the best when it came to athletics at school" Caitlyn said. "We always competed with each other only and we always ended up winning"

"And we'd always walk away before they could announce the winner because we just didn't care" Mitchie said with a laugh. "I remember that mom would always park the car behind the shed so we could make our quick getaways. Jake would be ready with food and then we'd go and do something. Just the four of us"

"I miss both of them" Caitlyn said and the mood suddenly changed.

"Me too" Mitchie said as she sat up straighter. She brought her hands up to her face to stop the tears from coming but it didn't help. They soon began to leak from Mitchie's eyes.

"Aw Mitchie" Caitlyn said as she crawled over to her friend.

"Sorry" Mitchie said as she wiped her eyes.

"Don't be sorry" Caitlyn said. "Just think about how proud she would be of you" Mitchie nodded.

"She would be proud. I wish she could have been here today"

"She was here" Caitlyn said. "She was in your heart. She was right there on stage with you"

"I know" Mitchie whispered. They looked up when the boys walked through the tent. They stopped once they saw the girls.

"Did we interrupt something?" Shane asked. The girls shook their heads.

"We were just talking about my mom" Mitchie said. The boys nodded sadly.

"Would you like a hug?" Jason asked. The girls laughed and nodded their heads. The boys walked over to them and sat down on the floor before they all hugged each other.

An hour later, Mitchie was sitting in the tent while the others had gone to walk around. Her thoughts were swarmed with emotions concerning her mom and Shane and they were making her confused. She was confused by her last song that she had sung. Did she want Shane to know that it was for him or did she want to keep it a secret? Did she really like Shane or was she still clinging to the celebrity crush that she had on him? It was all so confusing.

"Can I come in?" a voice asked, surprising Mitchie. Mitchie looked up to see Jason at the doorway.

"Sure" Mitchie said as Jason smiled and walked over to her. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you about your last song that you sung" Jason said, cutting straight to the point. Mitchie blushed and looked down at the ground. Neither noticed the person standing outside.

"What about it?" Mitchie asked.

"Who did you write it about?" Jason asked softly. Mitchie opened and closed her mouth a few times before sighing.

"I….. I wrote it about Shane" she admitted. Jason nodded.

"I figured" he said. "Are you going to tell him?" Mitchie shook her head.

"It was a big step to actually sing that song, knowing that he was going to listen to it. I've done enough for now. If that doesn't give away anything, I don't know what else will" Mitchie said.

"Something else is stopping you though" Jason observed. Mitchie nodded.

"I don't' want to seem like the rebound because Shane only just broke up with his girlfriend. And the other night he almost kissed me so I have no idea what to think" Mitchie said.

"You should talk to him Mitchie. Tell him everything you've told me. And then you two can work it out from there"

"I can't do it. Not now anyway. I love that he's been here for me with mom and all but because of that, I don't think I'm ready for anything to happen. I'm happy right now just knowing that's he's here" Mitchie explained. Jason smiled and stood up.

"You should tell him all of this" he said before he walked out of the tent. He didn't say anything when he saw Shane standing there, a look of shock on his face.

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**I'm going to work on putting in some more Naitlyn into the next chapter. Sorry to leave you there like that :p  
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	26. Chapter 26

**So I figured I would try and do some quick updates because I've kind of left you guys waiting for a while in between chapters. This chapter is more fluff filled because I know that some of you guys have been waiting for this. Pretty sure you are going to be happy with how some of this has turned out **

**Can i also say that you guys are amazing with your reviews. I'm up to 400! That's insane. **

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**Chapter 26**

Shane couldn't believe what he had just heard. The song was for him? Mitchie liked him? That part was a little obvious the night in the hotel room. She hadn't exactly been complaining when he was leaning in to kiss her and he was certain that she was leaning in as well. But there were a few things that Mitchie was right about. Now wouldn't be a good time. He had broken up with his girlfriend a few days ago and Mitchie's mom had passed away. Neither of them was in a place for a relationship but maybe they could talk about all this and say that they were willing to wait a little bit. He contemplated walking into the tent and telling Mitchie that he had heard her conversation or he could go in there and act like he knew nothing. Deciding to go with the latter for now, Shane took a breath before walking into the tent.

"Hey Mitchie" he greeted. Mitchie looked up from what she was writing and smiled at him.

"Hey yourself. Shouldn't you be walking around with the others?"

"The rain was starting to get annoying." Shane replied and Mitchie laughed. "What about you huh? Why aren't you out there?" Mitchie shrugged.

"Couldn't be bothered" Shane nodded while he took a seat.

"Are you writing another song?"

"Kind of." Mitchie said as she looked down at what she had written. _Catch Me_. Mitchie shook her head at the words and scribbled it out. She looked back up at Shane. "I can't seem to get the words right"

"Would you like some help?" Shane offered. Mitchie smiled.

"Maybe next time. This song is a little personal" Mitchie explained, hoping Shane would understand. His smile told her that he did.

"I'm going to hold you to that"

"You got it" Mitchie said with a laugh.

"So can I ask you a question?" Shane asked after a minute. Mitchie nodded her head. "I know that you are probably tired of hearing this from everyone, but we are all really curious. Who was the last song about?" Shane watched as Mitchie seemed to freeze up.

"Um….. someone?" Mitchie offered. Shane raised his eyebrow.

"Someone?" Mitchie nodded. "And do any of us know this someone?"

"Possibly" Mitchie answered hesitantly. She knew she was close to Shane finding out, but something was stopping her.

"What's stopping you from telling me?" Shane asked softly.

"A lot of things" Mitchie admitted. Shane smiled inwardly. He was getting somewhere.

"You can talk to me you know" Shane said. Mitchie sighed.

"I know that… it's just that there are some things….that are… harder to talk about than others" Shane nodded.

"Look, if there is anything that you do want to talk about, I just want to let you know that I'm not going to judge you or think of you any differently. I want you to be able to trust me"

"I do trust you" Mitchie said instantly and Shane smiled.

"So talk to me"

"And…. and you won't judge me?" Mitchie asked. Shane shook his head.

"I'm not going to judge you"

"Ok" Mitchie said with a sigh. Shane sat back patiently and waited for Mitchie to start. At least he had a heads up on what she was about to say. "Look, ever since Connect 3 started out, my celebrity crush was always on you. And then, after that day at the station…. things started to change I guess" Mitchie could not believe that she was saying this. She could feel that the blush covering her cheeks was an intense red as she brought up the day in which they had met. Shane could feel Mitchie's discomfort placed his hand on hers reassuringly. He smiled encouragingly which helped Mitchie to continue. "I was… jealous when you introduced us to Monica and then the whole thing with my mom; you stayed by me the whole time."

"The song?" Shane asked softly. Mitchie looked at him with a weak smile.

"I'm sure you can guess by now" Mitchie said quietly. Shane nodded. "So what now?"

"What now is we work out what is going to happen from here" Shane said.

"So is it safe to assume that we both feel the same….. way about each other?" Mitchie asked. She was scared to ask the question but she had to. She had to be sure.

"It is safe to assume that" Shane said. "But I don't want to rush things"

"Me either" Mitchie agreed. Both sighed.

"This isn't the best time to talk about this, hey?" Shane said with a smile. Mitchie laughed.

"No, not really" Both leaned back against the chairs in the tent. Mitchie rested her head on Shane's shoulder.

"Let's wait a couple of weeks until things die down" Shane said. "Then we can talk about everything and see where this goes"

"That works for me because there are a few things that I do want to tell you, seeing as the other boys already know" Mitchie said.

"Like what?" Shane asked. Mitchie bit her lip before answering.

"After the whole prom incident, I formed an eating disorder. There are times when I still battle with it but when I think about it…. I have never been more ashamed of myself" Mitchie said with a shake of her head while tears leaked out of her eyes. Shane pulled Mitchie closer to him. "Why aren't you saying anything about how disgusted at me you are?" Mitchie asked. Shane just pulled Mitchie tighter against him.

"Like I said before, I'm not going to judge you on anything you say. We all have skeletons in our closet like that"

"What skeletons do you have?" Mitchie asked.

"I'm not all I'm cracked up to be in the media. I have lied a little bit about my past because to start of with, I was ashamed of where I was from. I'll go more into it later but yea. That's one of my skeletons" Shane said. Mitchie smiled.

"Thank you" she whispered. Shane smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Don't mention it" he replied in a whisper. After a few minutes of sitting in the silence, Shane spoke again.

"I know that this is going to seem like a really weird question and feel free to say no if you want to, but… can I…. may I kiss you?" Shane looked at Mitchie to see that she was blushing again.

"What? Why?"

"Well because the first time it was a dare and the second time we didn't even kiss, it was just the lead up. And because I want to seal this, that we're going to wait a little bit before we go anywhere" Shane explained. Looking at Shane, Mitchie bit her lip and shyly nodded her head. Shane smiled before dipping his head down and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. It only lasted for about 5 seconds but it was enough for the both of them. Mitchie smiled shyly up at Shane who smiled straight back at her.

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Nate and Caitlyn wandered around the area slowly. Both Shane and Jason had disappeared off somewhere. Nate had resorted to lending Caitlyn his jacket to help shield her from the rain.

"This is nice" Caitlyn commented offhandedly.

"What?" Nate asked.

"You and me just walking around" Caitlyn said. Nate smiled.

"It is pretty nice. The weather could be better though"

"I love this weather" Caitlyn said with a smile. "It gives it that magical feeling"

"How so?" Nate asked. Caitlyn blushed a little bit.

"Don't you know how many girls out there dream of dancing in the rain or kissing their crush in the rain? It doesn't end up like a normal date. It's just… special" Caitlyn said.

"Is that what you dream about?" Nate asked with a smile. Caitlyn smiled and nodded.

"I did when I was a little girl and my brother would come home from a date and he would tell me everything that happened. He told me how on one date, the night ended up storming but it didn't stop them from having fun. Ever since then, I would wish that a guy would come and sweep me off my feet and dance with me in the rain"

"I never would have pictured you for the type" Nate said. Caitlyn glared at him.

"I'm still a girl though. We all have our fantasies. Mitchie's is the same as mine but hers has already happened"

"What?" Nate was confused now. He wasn't thinking straight as he looked at Caitlyn. Her hair had gone limp from the rain and her eyes were alight with excitement.

"That day at the train station when Mitchie kissed Shane because I dared her, it was raining then"

"When do you think those two will get together?" Nate asked.

"I don't know. I'd like it to be soon" Caitlyn replied with a shrug. "Mitchie needs a little happiness for herself right now"

"And what about you?" Nate asked. They had stopped walking now.

"What about me?" Caitlyn asked quietly.

"Don't you deserve some happiness?"

"Seeing my friend's happy makes me happy" Caitlyn answered. She realised how close Nate was to her but there was no way that she was going to move away.

"Is that enough though?" Nate asked as he moved in closer.

"It's worked for the past few years and I'm sure it can work for the next few years" Caitlyn said. She could feel her heart racing and she was having difficulty remembering to breath with Nate so close to her. Nate could see that Caitlyn was fighting hard to keep him at a safe distance within her life.

"What's stopping you?" he asked. This question caught Caitlyn off-guard and a wave of emotions hit her. She tried to step back but hadn't even realised that Nate had taken hold of her hands.

"I don't have time to think about myself. Mitchie's needed me the past couple of years because she's so insecure. So I set aside my own happiness to help make her happy and that made me happy" Caitlyn said.

"Let me try" Nate said softly. "Let me try and make you happy"

"Is this your weird way of asking me out?" Caitlyn asked with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. Nate laughed.

"Kind of. Is it working?"

"Kind of" Caitlyn replied, mimicking Nate. Nate smiled warmly at Caitlyn before leaning over and softly kissing Caitlyn.

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**Did that satisfy some of you? :p **


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys. I'm sorry for the long update. Things have been hectic lately. I'm going to keep this note short :) This is just a little look at Mitchie and Caitlyn's friendship and a little angst and happiness muffled into one chapter. **

**I'm working on the next chapter. I'm going to slowly start bringing this to an end now but im not sure.  
**

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**Chapter 27**

The group had little time to sit back and think about what had happened on the day of the concert, Mitchie and Caitlyn especially with each other. At the end of the concert, Nate had announced to everyone that they had all risen close to $300000 to help rebuild the town. Mitchie and Caitlyn were blown away by the amount. After the concert, the group had returned to the hotel for a good nights sleep as the funeral for Connie had been planned. Mitchie had requested the boys attend; more so as people she knew would be there for her and Caitlyn. The funeral had been planned to celebrate Connie's life. The boys hadn't left the girls side when the coffin was buried and when people payed their respects. It was about 11:30 at night when Mitchie was finally able to find a quiet place. The boys had gotten a hotel room again. Sitting up by the window, Mitchie's mind flashed back to the night where she had been sitting here with Shane.

"Hey Mitch" Caitlyn's voice said quietly. Mitchie turned her head to look at her best friend and smiled.

"Hey"

"Care for some company?" Caitlyn asked as she walked towards Mitchie. Mitchie nodded. Both girls sat in silence as they started out the window.

"I'm going to have to go back with my dad, aren't I?" Mitchie asked quietly. Caitlyn bit her lip and looked over at the door which closed off the room the boys were sleeping in. She knew what their plan was for Mitchie and they planned on telling her tomorrow morning. Caitlyn wasn't going to ruin that for them.

"Maybe we can convince your dad to let me stay with you until Jake comes home" Caitlyn said. Mitchie smiled.

"That would go down well. We'd both eventually get kicked out" Mitchie said with a laugh. Caitlyn laughed as well.

"I've got something to tell you" Caitlyn said, changing the subject of the conversation. Mitchie looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong" Caitlyn said and a light blush covered her cheeks as she thought back to what had happened between her and Nate. Mitchie noticed this.

"Has this got something to do with Nate?" she asked. Caitlyn's blush went redder. Mitchie squealed. "What happened? Tell me everything?"

"He kissed me" Caitlyn said and she laughed as Mitchie got all excited.

"How did it happen?" Mitchie asked once she had calmed down. Caitlyn smiled.

"We were just walking around after the concert and we were talking. We started talking about more serious stuff and then he said that he wanted to make me happy because I hadn't been looking out for myself and yea, it just happened" Caitlyn explained. Mitchie smiled before a frown appeared on her face.

"What do you mean that you hadn't been looking out for yourself? Haven't you been happy?"

"Of course I've been happy Mitch" Caitlyn said with a sigh. "It's just that, and I don't mean to make you sound selfish and such but with everything that has happened with you in the past couple of years, I've put all my energy into making sure that you were happy and that you didn't revert back to old habits"

"So, it is technically my fault" Mitchie said. Caitlyn shook her head.

"No, no no no no! It's not your fault Mitchie. I chose to do it so don't in any way blame yourself Mitchie" Caitlyn said, desperately trying to make sure that her friend didn't blame this all on herself. Mitchie smiled softly.

"Have I ever told you what an amazing friend you are to me?" Caitlyn smiled.

"You may have once or twice but it's always nice to hear it again" Mitchie laughed.

"I'm sorry you had to go all through that for me. You should have told me"

"Mitchie, you weren't exactly yourself during that time. I was too worried about you to even think about anything else" Caitlyn said. Mitchie hung her head as the memories flooded her mind.

"I still kick myself over resorting to that, resorting to starving myself" Mitchie exclaimed angrily. "It was such a stupid idea!" Angry tears had started to form in Mitchie's tears. Caitlyn swept her friend up in a hug.

"Please don't do this to yourself Mitchie. Every time this happens, you go back to your eating habits because you want to punish yourself" Caitlyn pleaded. "I hate that you feel like you have to do that" Mitchie clung onto Caitlyn, wishing she didn't have to put her friend through this.

"I'm sorry" Mitchie said as she pulled back. "I'm sorry that I've had to put you through all that"

"It's okay Mitch. Everyone goes through rough patches and I was happy to give up my time to be with you through yours" Caitlyn said softly to Mitchie. Mitchie nodded.

"Wow, we haven't had a good conversation and cry like this in a while" Mitchie said, trying to lighten the mood. Caitlyn laughed.

"We haven't. It's my turn to cry next"

"Deal" Mitchie said with a laugh.

"So have you told Shane about the song?" Caitlyn asked, moving back to the topic of the boys.

"Maybe" Mitchie mumbled. Caitlyn grinned.

"Maybe meaning….." Caitlyn trailed off, waiting for Mitchie to finish it. Mitchie blushed.

"Meaning that he found out, we talked and decided that we're going to wait a little bit before we see what's going to happen" Mitchie explained but towards the end, she didn't meet Caitlyn's eyes. Caitlyn noticed this and smirked.

"What else happened?" she asked. Mitchie sighed, knowing that it was no use keeping it from her.

"He could have possibly kissed me" Mitchie admitted. Caitlyn squealed, much like Mitchie had done.

"Would you look at us?" Caitlyn said. Mitchie laughed.

"Who would have thought?" Both girls grinned at each other and could tell what the other was thinking. Neither of them cared about the status of the boys. All they knew was that they had found three of their closest friends and they weren't about to give that up for anything. Mitchie smiled inwardly, knowing that this is how her mother would have wanted her to spend her time. Just talking with her friends and continuing to live her life.

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****

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Caitlyn was the first person to wake the next morning. She sleepily walked into the kitchen to get herself some breakfast. Hearing someone else walk into the kitchen, she looked up and smiled when she saw Nate.

"Morning" he mumbled with a tired smile. Caitlyn laughed.

"Morning" She was surprised when Nate made a beeline for her, dropped a kiss to the top of her head before moving over to the coffee machine. She was happy that Nate had turned the other way or else he would have seen her blush.

"What were you two girls talking about last night?" Nate asked as he sat down at the table. Caitlyn laughed.

"Were we loud?" Nate nodded.

"Not all the time though"

"We were just talking. We haven't really had much time to do that these past couple of days."

"How's she holding up?"

"She's doing alright" Caitlyn said with a soft smile. "I think she's just happy that she has all of us with her to help her through it"

"Are we going to tell her today?" Nate asked, referring to their surprise for Mitchie. Caitlyn nodded.

"I can't think of a better time. She was telling me last night that she didn't want to go back to her dads"

"We can tell her right after breakfast" Nate said with a smile, looking up as Jason and Shane entered the kitchen.

"Morning" Shane said as he sat down.

"Good morning" Jason said more happily. Caitlyn smiled.

"You always seem happy in the mornings"

"I'm a morning person" Jason said as he sat down on the other side of Caitlyn. Not long after that, Mitchie joined them.

"Morning everyone" she said.

"Morning" everyone chorused happily. Mitchie stopped and looked at everyone with a funny face.

"Why do you all seem really excited?"

"We're just happy this morning" Caitlyn said with a smile.

"Okay" Mitchie said slowly as she picked up an apple. Half an hour later, everyone was getting ready for the day. The boys had opted to stay longer to help start the rebuilding of the town and that was the plan for the day.

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"Okay seriously, what are you guys hiding?" Mitchie asked, curious as to what the others were hiding. They were just about to head out. The others looked at each other. Jason stepped forward.

"You know how you really don't want to go back and live with your dad?" he asked Mitchie nodded her head. "Well we've come up with a solution to that"

"What?" Mitchie asked, not believing what Jason was telling her. The others laughed.

"We can offer you a job with us. That means that you have to travel with us everywhere. You won't need to stay with your dad" Jason explained. Mitchie was shocked.

"Are you serious?" Mitchie asked once she got her voice back. The boys nodded. Mitchie squealed before attacking each of the guys with hugs. "You guys are the best!"

"Glad we can be of help" Nate said. Mitchie smiled.

"So what would the job be?"

"We'd have you come on as one of our songwriters" Shane said. "You will get full mention in any song we sing that you have helped write and you could be requested to work for other artists"

"Oh my gosh" Mitchie said quietly as she let out a breath of air. "Thank you guys so much for doing this for me"

"It's no problem Mitchie" Jason said.

"We want to do it and we wouldn't have it any other way" Shane said. Mitchie smiled.

"Today's shaping up to be a really good day" Mitchie said. She brought her hand up to clasp the necklace that had once been her moms. Everyone was beginning to file out the door. "This is all for you mom" Mitchie whispered before following the others out.

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**Im sorry that this chapter is a little short. im working on getting them longer for you :) **


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey Guys. I'm sorry this chapter has taken a while. My computer got a virus on there and yea. i had to find enough time and another computer to write up this chapter and i've done it. I'm sorry it's a little short. It's sort of like a filler chapter. Nothing really big happens in here. That's going to come in the next few chapters.**

**Hope you like this one. :)**

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**The Dare Chapter 28**

Arriving at the site where the construction would begin to take place, Mitchie and Caitlyn were speechless at the amount of people that had rallied up to help.

"How did so many people get here in such a short amount of time?" Mitchie asked as the group stepped out of the car. Even the boys were surprised at the amount of people and the amount of materials brought to get things started.

"There must have been a lot of people watching the concert yesterday" Jason said.

"A heck of a lot of people" Caitlyn said as she stood next to Nate.

"Let's go then" Shane said as he began to lead the way. Mitchie smiled as she noticed Nate take a hold of Caitlyn's hand. Jason brought up the rear with Mitchie.

"This is unreal" Mitchie said to Jason as she looked at the mass of people. Jason nodded.

"I know. I was expecting a few people to come down but not this many"

"Do you know what we're starting to build first?" Mitchie asked, coming to a stop. Shane, Nate and Caitlyn had also come to a stop.

"Why are we stopping?" Jason asked.

"Someone's coming towards us" Nate said. Mitchie and Jason looked over Shane's shoulder to see a middle aged man walking towards them.

"He looks familiar" Shane commented. Caitlyn squinted before her face broke out in a smile.

"It's Mr. Drake" she said.

"Who?" Nate asked.  
"He's the owner of the diner across from the recording studio" Mitchie explained as the two girls began to walk towards the man.

"My best customers" Mr. Drake greeted the girls with a hug. "How are you two holding up?"

"We're doing well" Caitlyn said with a smile. Mr. Drake smiled and turned to Mitchie.

"And how about you my dear?"

"I'm good" Mitchie said. Mr. Drake smiled.

"Now now, put a smile on that beautiful face of yours. Your mother wouldn't want to see you like this. You must keep smiling, for her sake" Mitchie smiled.

"She did love it when people smiled. That's one thing she was good at. She could put a smile on anyone's face"

"Of course she could" Mr. Drake said. "That's why she was one of my favourite people, aside from you two of course" The girls laughed. "Now who are these dashing young men you are with?" Mr. Drake asked as he looked up at the boys.

"This is Shane, Nate and Jason" Caitlyn introduced. The boys smiled.

"Well, well, well. You two girls sure know how to grab some good looking ones, and famous ones at that" Mr. Drake said with a laugh. The girls blushed while the boys chuckled. Mr. Drake wrapped an arm around each of the girl's shoulders while he addressed the boys. "You three boys had better not hurt these girls now, especially you two" Mr. Drake said as he looked at Shane and Nate. The girls blushed more.

"We wouldn't hurt them" Shane said sincerely.

"I can tell" Mr. Drake said with a nod. The girls laughed as the boys went red. "Keep a hold on these girls. They're real treasures"

"Okay Mr. Drake. I think that's enough embarrassing the boys and us for now" Caitlyn said with a laugh.

"But it's so much fun" Mr. Drake said with a sigh. Everyone laughed at this statement.

"What's happening with the rebuilding?" Mitchie asked, wanting a change in the topic.

"We're starting with the school" Mr. Drake said. "We've got the men working on getting the frame set up and the girls working on putting together the desks and decorations"

"Let's get to work then" Jason said with a smile. Mr. Drake nodded with a grin and led the group down to where the construction had started.

* * *

Mitchie smiled at Shane when she caught him looking at her. He had taken off his shirt and was now only in his singlet and pants. Of course many of the girls that were there had gone crazy and the boys had spent a majority of the day taking pictures and signing autographs for their fans.

"Stop looking at Shane and get back to work helping me with these shelves" Caitlyn said as she elbowed Mitchie in the side. Mitchie blushed and looked back at Caitlyn.

"He was looking at me" Mitchie said. Caitlyn laughed.

"No, you were both looking at each other and now I'm telling you off and Nate's telling Shane off" Mitchie looked over at Shane again to see Nate whack Shane on the back of the head and tell him to get back to work. Mitchie laughed before sighing. "What's wrong?" Caitlyn asked.

"I know that I really like Shane and he likes me and we both agreed to wait before we did anything but….."

"You don't exactly want to wait?" Caitlyn offered with a smile. Mitchie nodded.

"But I know that I should" Mitchie said with a sigh. "It's just hard because Shane is the first guy I've ever really really liked."

"I know" Caitlyn said. "It's the same with me and Nate. Just let things take their course. It will happen at the right time"

"I just hope that the right time will be soon" Mitchie said as she looked back over at Shane, smiling when he looked her way again.

By sunset the frame had been assembled of the school. The girls had managed to construct many of the shelves, desks and chairs for the classrooms. A tired Mitchie and Caitlyn met up with the boys at the drinks table.

"I am so tired" Mitchie said as she rested her head on Caitlyn's shoulder.  
"You do know that we have to do this tomorrow and the next day and the next day don't you?" Jason asked. The girls nodded.

"We know" Mitchie said.

"That's why we are going to go back to the hotel, sleep for a reasonable amount of hours before we get back to work tomorrow" Caitlyn said with a smile.

"I like that plan" Nate said. "Sleep sounds really good right about now"

"Onwards to the car" Jason said as he began to walk. The others laughed as they followed him. Mitchie and Shane watched everyone walk before they started themselves. Shane looked over at Mitchie.

"You up for getting a bite to eat?" he asked. Mitchie looked at him.

"Where would we go, there's nothing left here"

"There's a little café just out of town" Shane said. Mitchie smiled at him.

"Sure. I'm starving" Shane laughed.

"I know. I heard your stomach growling before" Mitchie blushed.

"I can't help it. As if your stomach hasn't growled when you're hungry before"

"Sure it has but I don't think it's ever been as loud as that" Shane teased. Mitchie gasped playfully before pushing him and walking off after the others. Shane laughed as he caught up to Mitchie.

"Go away. I don't like talking to people who like to insult my stomach. It's very sensitive" Mitchie said playfully and Shane noticed the smile on her face.

"Come on Mitch. I'm sorry I insulted your stomach" Shane said. Mitchie stopped walking.

"There we go. That wasn't so hard. Let's go and get food now" Mitchie said, taking Shane's hand and dragging him to the car.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Mitchie and Shane were seated in a small café just out of town. Both talked about anything and everything, excluding the part about what was to happen with them. They knew it would happen eventually, when both were ready. It would do neither of them any good to rush into the relationship and have it all fall apart. They both got back to the hotel later that night and the next day was the same. The group worked all day and then Shane would take Mitchie out for a bite to eat. This continued for a week. The people of the town grew used to seeing Connect 3 around everyday and thought of them as regular boys. None of the girls screamed when they saw them but were able to hold friendly conversations with them and the girls. While all of this continued, Mitchie admitted to Caitlyn that she couldn't wait to start working with the boys. She would be with her best friends and wouldn't have to live with her dad. But before all that could take place, tomorrow had to come which meant the painting of the school. Mitchie smiled as she feel asleep because she knew how much fun painting could be.

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**Yay. can you believe that this is my 28th chapter?? I seriously didn't think i would ever right this many chapters for an original one-shot lol. I'm really glad that you guys like this story. I think this is my best one yet. **

**xx**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys. I am so incredibly sorry that it has taken me this long to update. My computer still isn't fixed and it's hard to use the family computer to write when everyone else wants to go on. And i get told off if i write for too long as well. It's all hard lol. This chapter doesn't have much happening but the next few will be more focused on Christmas and such. It's gonna be hard for me to update now because I've started my studies this year and my internship and i've almost got a job which will take up a lot of time as well. I'll try to write as often as i can for you and get this story finished... which i'm not sure when it's going to be because i kind of changed the direction in this story... but oh well. :)**

**and of course i realise that the construction of the school is going by very fast but i need to get through it lol.  
**

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**The Dare Chapter 29**

The next morning was bright and sunny although the sun was deceiving. Though it looked warm, because it was December, the temperature was cold. Mitchie pulled on an old hoodie of hers and gathered her hair up in a rushed ponytail. Shrugging at her appearance, Mitchie exited her room and made her way to the small kitchen. Caitlyn was the only person up so far.

"Morning" Mitchie mumbled. Caitlyn smiled.

"Good morning" Mitchie looked at her best friend.

"Why are you always so chipper in the morning?"

"I just figured that with everything that has happened in the past two weeks, there is no point in dreading every day. I thought that starting the day like this would cheer people up a little more" Caitlyn explained.

"It does" Mitchie said with a smile. "Thank you"

"It's no problem" Caitlyn said as Mitchie took a seat. Mitchie stares at the box of cereal on the table but looks away. She's got too much on her mind right now to be thinking about food. Caitlyn notices this and her smile drops slightly. "Please eat something Mitch"

"I will" Mitchie said. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now"

"Like what?" Caitlyn asks as she wraps her hands around her coffee.

"Like the fact that this Christmas is going to be a little different this year" Caitlyn smiled sadly and was about to say something but cut herself of when Nate entered the kitchen. He smiled at both girls before walking over to Caitlyn and kissing the top of her head. Mitchie smiled as Caitlyn blushed. As Nate started to talk with Caitlyn, Mitchie slipped out of the room. Caitlyn saw this and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked.

"I'm just worried about Mitchie. This is going to be her first Christmas without her mum" Nate smiled sadly.

"Do you two mind that you would be spending Christmas with us?" Nate questioned after a moments silence. Caitlyn smiled.

"We don't mind at all"

"What would be the one thing you want for Christmas?"

"I want my brother to come home" Caitlyn answered immediately. "Because then at least Mitchie and I will have at least some sort of family home"

"This year mine, Shane and Jason's families are meeting at Shane's house for Christmas."

"How many of you are there?" Caitlyn asked as she tried to picture it in her head.

"I lose count by the end of the day"

"That is so much smaller than the Christmas's we have" Caitlyn said, reflecting on the Christmas's she had had with Mitchie, Connie and Jake.

"Who would you spend Christmas with?"

"It would be me, Mitchie, Connie and my brother. It was small but it was perfect for us. Connie would always place a surprise in the mini cakes she would make. Then afterwards we would gather in the living room. Mitchie would play the piano while we all sang Christmas carols into the night."

"It sounds perfect" Nate said.

"I'm sure yours is perfect for you"

"It is most of the time but it's always loud, crazy and there are a lot of people. Sometimes I do wish that it would be a little quieter with just my family, not the million relatives" Nate explained.

"But I'm guessing that you do love it at the time" Caitlyn said with a smile. Nate laughed and nodded. The two continued to share Christmas stories with each other.

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Shane stretched his arms above his head as he exited his room. He couldn't wait to go home and sleep in his own bed. Excitement bubbled up in him at the thought that Mitchie and Caitlyn would possibly be spending Christmas with them. Shane stopped in his tracks when he saw Mitchie standing by the window. He slowly made his way over to her.

"You okay?" Shane asked once he was close enough. Mitchie jumped.

"What? Oh yeah…. I'm fine"

"You sure? Because you looked like you were deep in thought"

"I'm fine Shane" Mitchie said with a smile although Shane could tell that it was forced. Shane stared at Mitchie and Mitchie stared back for a minute before breaking her gaze away.

"Would you like a hug?" Shane asked with a soft smile. He realised that Mitchie wasn't ready to tell him so he offered her the only thing she could at the moment. Mitchie looked back at him and smiled.

"I would love a hug" Mitchie said as she stepped forward into Shane's arms. Shane wrapped his arms around her and gently squeezed.

"Good morning" Jason said as he walked into the room. Shane and Mitchie smiled at him as Shane released Mitchie.

"Morning Jason" Mitchie said.

"Morning" Shane said. Jason smiled at them before walking into the kitchen. Shane turned to Mitchie. "Let's go and eat some breakfast" Mitchie nodded and the two of them followed Jason.

"Morning Nate. Morning Caitlyn" Jason greeted the other two in the kitchen.

"Morning Jason" Nate and Caitlyn said. Caitlyn stood up when she saw Mitchie.

"You alright?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie smiled and nodded.

"I'm good. I just have a lot on my mind"

"Good. Now sit down and eat" Caitlyn said as she pointed at the table. Mitchie shrunk back slightly at the look Caitlyn was giving her.

"Okay" Mitchie said quickly and sat down. Caitlyn smiled triumphantly and placed a plate of toast in front of Mitchie.

"Eat" Caitlyn said. Mitchie nodded and picked up the toast to take a bite. She stopped when she saw the boys looking at her with amused grins on their faces.

"Eat your food" Mitchie mumbled.

"Yes ma'am" the boys said as they started to eat their own breakfast.

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Mitchie and Caitlyn shared a look with each other as they drove towards the construction site. It was hard to believe that in a week the frame of the school had been built and two walls had been put up. With so many people working together, things were getting done very quickly. Most of the plumbing and electricity was being put in place today.

"Oh the memories of painting" Mitchie said to Caitlyn. Caitlyn laughed.

"Memories? Our previous painting jobs always end up in disaster"

"That's what makes them memories" Mitchie said.

"What sorts of disasters happen when you two paint?" Jason asked. Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other.

"Well, we usually end up with a lot of paint on the both of us. The walls or whatever we are painting are never the one colour. There are splatters of other colours from when we throw paint at each other as well" Mitchie explained.

"There was also the one time where you poured a tin of paint over my head once" Caitlyn said.

"It was an accident" Mitchie said as she defended herself.

"Sure sure" Caitlyn said. Mitchie laughed.

"Maybe this time I won't say it's an accident" Mitchie threatened with a smile. Caitlyn stuck her tongue out at Mitchie before two girls erupted in laughter.

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It didn't take long for Mitchie and Caitlyn to end up with paint on them. It started out as the girls painting small hearts on each others faces but it had escalated for them. Later on in the day, the girls had managed to sneak up on the boys and get them covered in paint. Jason had been smart enough to grab Mitchie's camera before they left. Mr. Drake had chosen at that moment to walk past the group. Jason had asked him to take a picture. Mr. Drake laughed and nodded as he took the camera. The group huddled together and smiled brightly for the camera. Mr. Drake handed the camera back and said he would be back at the end of the day to take one last shot of them.

At the end of the day, the group had almost the same amount of paint on them as the walls they were painting. Mr. Drake had returned and had laughed at the sight of them. Jason handed the camera over and Mr. Drake took one more group shot of everyone. Over the course of the day the group had taken many pictures of each other. As Jason had been carrying the camera around all day, he had gotten time to scroll through the pictures and came across pictures from the day the boys had met the girls. He smiled at the picture of Shane and Mitchie at the station.

"What are you looking at?'' Nate asked as he walked over to Jason. The others were trailing along behind him.

''Some of the girls pictures from the day we met them'' Jason answered. Nate stood by Jason's side and looked at the pictures.

''Nice'' Nate said.

''I like the fact that Shane's got a chain of daisies on his head at one point'' Jason said with a laugh. Shane's attention was drawn to the boys.

''I heard my name'' he said.

''We're looking at some pictures of you'' Nate said with a grin.

''What pictures?'' Shane asked as he and the girls walked up.

''Pictures where you are wearing a daisy chain'' Jason answered. Caitlyn and Mitchie shared a grin with each other.

''I forgot we took those pictures'' Caitlyn said. Mitchie laughed.

''That was an interesting day''

''And some very interesting pictures were taken I see'' Nate said. Mitchie, Shane and Caitlyn wore confused looks. Jason and Nate shared a grin before turning the camera around. Mitchie blushed and Shane even went a little red. Caitlyn laughed.

''I think that's my favourite photo'' she said.

''I agree there'' Nate said and Jason nodded. Mitchie and Shane snuck a look at each other and shared a smile. When they both looked away, Mitchie's smile faded slightly as she realized that she never told her mom exactly how she and Shane met.

"You alright?" Caitlyn asked, having seen Mitchie's saddened features. Mitchie looked up at Caitlyn and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired" Mitchie answered. Caitlyn looked at Mitchie before nodding and turning away. Shane had also noticed Mitchie's changed demeanor.

"Are you tired?" Nate asked Caitlyn suddenly. Caitlyn jumped slightly and turned to face Nate.

"Pardon" Nate smiled.

"I asked if you were tired." Caitlyn shook her head.

"Nah, I'm not tired. Why?"

"I thought that maybe you and I could get some dinner" Nate said with a smile. Caitlyn smiled in return.

"Why not" Caitlyn said with a laugh. "I am pretty hungry"

"We'll go back to the hotel and freshen up and then get going" Nate said. Caitlyn laughed.

"Well I would like to freshen up and I don't think many places around here would like it if we walked in with paint everywhere"

"So are we all ready to head back to the hotel?" Jason asked. The others nodded and the group made their way to their car.

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**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

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* * *

  
**

"So where are we going?" Caitlyn asked Nate as the two walked down the street.

"I don't really know" Nate said as he reached over and took a hold of Caitlyn's hand.

"What better way to spend a night" Caitlyn said with a smile. The two continued to walk until they came to a hot dog stand. They both stopped and looked at each other.

"Do I have to ask you?" Nate asked. Caitlyn laughed and shook her head and dragged Nate over to the stand. "Two please" Nate said to the vendor.

"Thanks" Caitlyn said as Nate handed one to her. Nate grabbed his and paid before the two continued to walk slowly.

"What else do you want to do?" Nate asked.

"There's usually a light show at the park just up the road. Me, Mitchie and Connie would come up here if we were bored"

"Let's do that then" Nate said. Caitlyn grinned and gestured for Nate to follow her. They arrived at the park a little bit early and found somewhere to sit. As the show was due to start in an hour, the two were comfortable to just talk with each other.

* * *

Back at the hotel, Mitchie and Shane were curled up on the couch watching a movie. Jason had gone out with some of the people he had met while working on the school. Shane had noticed that Mitchie had become very quiet since leaving the site.

"Are you okay Mitchie?" Shane asked after having seen Mitchie try to secretly wipe her eyes.

"I'm f..fine" Mitchie said. Shane raised his eyebrows at hearing Mitchie stumble over her words.

"Really? Look Mitchie if you want to talk I'm right here" Shane said softly to Mitchie. Mitchie looked at Shane and bit her lip.

"I guess I just miss my mom" Mitchie said after a moments silence. "And I feel really bad that this week I've been having fun when she hasn't even been gone that long. It looks like I don't care at all"

"That's not true and you know it" Shane said.

"It feels like it though." Mitchie said with a sigh as she wiped away a few tears. Shane positioned himself so that he was facing Mitchie.

"Look, we may not have known you mom for very long but we can all tell that this is how she would have wanted you to spend your time. She wouldn't want you to spend you time all depressed" Shane said. Mitchie felt more tears leak out of her eyes.

"There were so many more conversations that I had to have with her" Mitchie said. "I never got to tell her exactly how we met. She's never going to know about Nate and Caitlyn or you and me. We won't be able to have our girls nights any more…" Mitchie broke off as she broke down. Shane was quick to engulf Mitchie in a tight hug.

"You know what," Shane started. "I think that your mom already knew what was going to happen between Nate and Caitlyn and you and me. I think that deep down she knew something would become of all this and I think that she knew that more happened when we met than what we told her" Mitchie leant back to look at Shane.

"You think so?" Mitchie asked through her tears. Shane nodded.

"I'm sure of it. It's okay to miss your mom Mitchie. Your way of remembering her is doing what you know she would be proud of you for. She would be proud of you for getting up and performing in front of all those people, for working hard to get everything back on track for your home. You're allowed to cry as well." Shane said. He had seen Mitchie a few times trying to keep her tears at bay. Mitchie smiled weakly as a few more tears escaped. She leant her head back against Shane's chest. That was how Nate, Caitlyn and Jason found them hours later when they returned. Nate and Caitlyn had walked in hand in hand with Jason trailing behind them but they stopped at the sight. Shane and Mitchie both asleep on the couch but Shane's arms were wrapped securely around Mitchie. Caitlyn sighed as the sight of tearstains on Mitchie's cheeks. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous that Mitchie had talked with Shane but not with her.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked Caitlyn. Caitlyn looked at Nate.

"I want to know what she told Shane that she couldn't tell me" Caitlyn said. Nate smiled at Caitlyn.

"I'm sure that she is going to tell you. Shane was probably with her at the moment it became too much for her and she needed to talk to someone" Nate said. "Don't worry too much over it. She'll tell you. You two are like sisters. I doubt there is anything that you two don't share with each other" Caitlyn smiled

"That is true" Caitlyn said with a laugh.

"Just give her some time. She'll come around" Nate said. Caitlyn nodded as she looked over at Shane and Mitchie. She just didn't want to lose her best friend/sister to a boy, even if it was Shane Grey.

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**Hmmm.... so? I'll try and get the next chapter done soon for you guys :)**

**xoxo  
**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey Guys. I am incredibly sorry for the very very long wait you have had to have. In between work, my internship and Ministry training this year, I have no time and I don't have a computer to write on. I have to use the family office computer and everyone needs to use that so I can't sit there for ages and write a chapter which is kind of annoying. To make it up to you, I have written a pretty long chapter here. It's over 4000 words long. I don't blame any of you if you have lost interest in this story. Hopefully I've still managed to maintain some faithful readers**

**If you would like to, I'm providing you guys with my twitter account so that I can keep you updated that way and you can pester me to update faster if you would like. **

**Its www . twitter . com / paige987 (Obviously you will need to remove the spaces :p)  
**

**Just tell me who you are so that I know you are a reader and I won't be scared and wondering if some weird person has decided to follow me lol.**

**If it makes you happy as well, I've already written part of the next chapter and I'm going to write as much as I can of it today as well as a couple other stories that I've started and really want to post for you**

**So fingers crossed you can get a few updates over this weekend.**

**I love you all!!!**

* * *

**The Dare Chapter 30**

Mitchie sighed as she lay down face first into her pillow. Tomorrow the girls would be traveling with the boys to Shane's house for Christmas. Mitchie was beyond nervous. She was freaking out.

"What's on your mind?" Caitlyn asked as she walked into the room.

"Everything" Mitchie said with a laugh. Caitlyn smiled as she reached under her pillow and threw a block of chocolate at Mitchie. Mitchie raised her eyebrows as she picked up the block.

"Look, in my opinion, we are in serious need of a girls night" Caitlyn explained. Mitchie grinned.

"I'm going to get some ice-cream" Mitchie said as she leapt of the bed. Walking out of the room, she was greeted by the sight of the boys watching the TV. Shane glanced up and smiled softly at Mitchie. Mitchie returned the smile as she walked into the kitchen. Opening up the freezer, Mitchie grabbed the small tub of chocolate ice cream. Walking back out into the living room, Mitchie stopped walking when she realised that all three boys were looking at her with amused grins.

"Are you really going to eat all that?" Nate asked. Mitchie glanced down at the ice cream in her hand.

"No," Mitchie answered. "The other half is for Caitlyn" Mitchie said with a grin as she walked back into the girl's room. The boys looked at each other.

"Can those two really finish off that ice cream?" Shane asked. "I mean, they are tiny" The other two shrugged.

"Never underestimate girls and their ice cream" Jason said before turning back to the TV. Shane and Nate shared a look before also turning back to the TV.

"Have these past few weeks seemed surreal to any one?" Shane asked out of the blue. Nate smiled and nodded, knowing exactly what Shane was talking about.

"You two have certainly found something else to care about as much as your music" Jason said. Both Shane and Nate, whereas they would have blushed before, didn't now. They were willing to accept what they felt for the girls.

"What about you though Jason?" Nate asked. "Don't you ever feel left out?"

"Nah. The right girl will come to me. I just have to wait" Jason said.

"I'm still sort of waiting though" Shane commented.

"Give her time" Nate said. "Just let her know that you are here for her now" Shane nodded before tuning back into the TV.

* * *

**Break break break break break break break break**

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* * *

  
**

Caitlyn looked up as Mitchie entered the room with the ice cream.

"Did the boys say anything?" she asked.

"Nate just asked me if I was going to be able to finish it all" Mitchie said with a smile.

"What did you say?"

"I just told him that of course I wasn't going to eat this all on my own. The other half is for you. I turned around before I could see their reactions"

"They're going to be surprised when they realise that we can actually eat all this ice cream." Caitlyn said with a grin as she opened the tub. She looked around before looking back at Mitchie. "Did you get the spoons?" Mitchie only then realised that she seemed to be missing something. Caitlyn laughed. "Don't worry, I'll go and get them" Mitchie laughed as she made herself comfortable on the bed. Caitlyn walked out of the room and skipped into the kitchen, missing the boys looking her way. Caitlyn looked up when she heard footsteps in the kitchen. Nate was standing in the doorway smiling at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Mitchie forget to get the spoons for the ice cream. Caitlyn said with a smile.

"What's the ice cream for?"

"We're having a girl's night. We haven't had one of those in ages" Caitlyn said as she grabbed two spoons from the drawer as well as a bottle of water. Walking up to Nate, Caitlyn reached up and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of Nate's mouth before walking back in the girl's bedroom. Nate just smiled as he picked up an apple from the fruit bowl and returned to the living room.

* * *

Caitlyn walked back into the room with a large smile on her face.

"What did Nate say to you?" Mitchie asked once she looked up at Caitlyn. Caitlyn blushed as she walked over to the bed and sat down opposite Mitchie.

"He didn't say anything. He was just being Nate" Caitlyn answered.

"Aww" Mitchie said with a laugh. Caitlyn mumbled something under her breath before taking a spoon and digging into the ice cream.

"Hey, I'm not the only one with a guy here" Caitlyn defended herself.

"Maybe, but you are the only one here who can actually say that she has a boyfriend now" Mitchie said with a smile.

"I wonder what Jake is going to say?" Caitlyn asked offhandedly. Mitchie laughed.

"I would rather not picture that conversation. It would probably go along the lines of 'hey, Caitlyn got together with someone from her favourite band. Hurt her and I'll punch your lights out'" Mitchie said, putting on a deeper voice as she imagined what Jake would say. Caitlyn grinned.

"It would probably go more along the lines of 'Caitlyn actually has a boyfriend? What is going on in this world'" Both girls erupted in laughter as they pictured Jake saying those things. Mitchie scooped up some ice cream and placed it in her mouth.

"Do you remember that one time when we had one of our girl's nights and my mom came up because she had made us chocolate muffins?" Caitlyn nodded.

"Yea, Connie just kept bringing up plate loads and plate loads of food up for us and we ate everything"

"We always ate everything mom made for us" Mitchie said with a sad smile.

"Talk to me" Caitlyn said softly. Mitchie laughed.

"I can't be bothered crying again though" Caitlyn smiled.

"I'm not going to care if you cry or not. I'll probably end up crying as well"

"I guess the one thing that bothers me the most was that I never got to tell her exactly how Shane and I met." Mitchie said after a small moment's hesitation.

"I have a feeling she might have already known what happened" Caitlyn said with a smile. "Mothers know these types of things"

"That's the same thing that Shane said to me" Mitchie commented. Caitlyn smiled slightly. She was still a little upset that Mitchie had told all this to Shane before her. "What's wrong?" Mitchie asked after having seen Caitlyn's face.

"I guess you could say that I'm a little jealous of Shane" Caitlyn said.

"How so?" Mitchie asked. Caitlyn shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess I've just seen you lately talking to him about stuff and I was wondering why you didn't want me to know about it"

"My mindset was that my mom was as much your mom as she was mine. We're both feeling her loss pretty heavily and I didn't want you to have to worry about something else as well and Shane was around when I just needed someone to talk to. I don't mean to make you feel like I don't to talk with you and all" Mitchie said.

"It's funny," Caitlyn started. "I never thought I would feel threatened by a boy"

"I never thought I'd ever have a guy that was actually interested in me" Mitchie said.

"I know I've said this plenty of times, but are you sure that we aren't in a dream?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie smiled.

"If we are then I hope to never wake up"

"Then we'd be like sleeping beauty, waiting for our knights in shining Armour to kiss and wake us up" Caitlyn said as she stood up on the bed before clasping her hands over her chest and falling back down with a dramatic sigh. Mitchie laughed.

"Might I remind you princess Caitlyn that you already have a knight in shining Armour right outside this door?"

"Oi, you do as well missy," Caitlyn said as she poked Mitchie. "Except that when your prince kisses you, it will seal everything" Mitchie blushed as she snuck a look to the door, knowing that Shane was on the other side. How long was he going to be willing to wait for her? She had no idea when she would be ready for a relationship. The whole incident with Carter at the prom was still fresh in her mind, no matter how hard she tried to push it away. He was the reason she had stayed clear of boys up until Shane, Jason and Nate. Mitchie knew in her heart that Shane would never do anything to hurt her but she couldn't help but be cautious.

"What are you thinking about?" Caitlyn asked after having seen Mitchie zone off.

"I'm scared" Mitchie whispered. "I really want to be with Shane but…." Mitchie trailed off and Caitlyn could sort of see where she was headed.

"Shane's not like Carter Mitch. You and I both know that" Mitchie nodded.

"I know that but what happened before just won't leave my mind"

"You need to put all that behind you Mitchie. It's not going to do you any good. You can trust Shane. I trust Shane. I trust all three of those boys to never hurt us and in return they know they can trust us to do the same. You're going to hurt Shane with all this worry. Just listen to your heart on this one. You are not going to end up being hurt the same way Carter hurt you" Caitlyn said and Mitchie smiled at her friend's speech.

"What would I do without you Cait?" Mitchie asked.

"You would grow pretty bored pretty quickly and you would be lost without me" Caitlyn replied with a smile. "Now let's eat up this ice cream before it all melts and show these boys what we're made of"

* * *

**Break break break break break break Break**

* * *

Once again, Caitlyn was the first person to wake up the next morning. She was excited for what they day held. They would be traveling to Shane's house to spend Christmas with his family as well as Nate and Jason's. She only wished that Jake could be there and then all would be perfect. When Shane walked into the kitchen, awake before everyone else, to say that Caitlyn was surprised didn't cut it.

"What on earth are you doing up so early?" Caitlyn asked him. Shane shrugged.

"I woke up a while ago and couldn't get back to sleep. I heard someone out here so I decided to come out"

"I still think it's weird," Caitlyn said with a quiet laugh. "Do you want a coffee? I've just made some"

"I'd love some coffee" Shane said as Caitlyn stood up to make him one. "Did you two manage to finish your ice cream?" Caitlyn nodded.  
"Every last drop is gone"

"And yet you two remain tiny" Shane said. Caitlyn's smile dropped. Shane was confused for a moment before he realised what he had said. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…" Caitlyn held up a hand to stop Shane.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it like that. We were sort of talking about that last night. I hate Carter for doing that to Mitchie"

"I hate him as well and I haven't even met him"

"You have to promise not to hurt her Shane" Caitlyn said pleadingly. "Mitchie's terrified enough about being with you. She doesn't need another reason to draw herself away from you"

"I wouldn't dream of hurting Mitchie" Shane said. "That's the very last thing that I want to do."

"Good" Caitlyn said as she placed a cup of coffee in front of Shane.

"Is she really scared to be with me?" Shane asked after a moment of silence. Caitlyn nodded.

"I know it sounds like I'm asking a lot here but you need to show Mitchie that you are not going to hurt her. Carter has made her wary of boys and she hasn't been able to trust them easily. The only guy that she has been able to fully trust is my brother"

"I'll prove to Mitchie that she can trust me" Shane said with a smile. "She's not someone who I want to lose in my life. I'm going to wait as long as I need to for her" Caitlyn smiled. Shane was good for Mitchie. He'd help her through times when it felt like everything in her past was catching up to her and Mitchie would be able to help Shane stay calm in tough situations because there had been a few issues in the past where he had let his temper get the better of him.

"Thanks Shane" Caitlyn. "It means a lot to hear you say that and I'm positive that it means a lot to Mitchie as well"

"It's no problem" Shane replied as Nate and Jason walked into the kitchen. Mitchie wasn't far behind them. A chorus of good mornings rang throughout the kitchen.

"I'm getting too used to this" Mitchie commented after everyone had taken a seat.

"Too used to what?" Nate asked.

"Living with you guys" Mitchie answered. The others thought about it for a moment.

"I have to agree with Mitchie. This all seems perfectly natural to me now" Jason said.

"I don't want it to end" Caitlyn said. Everyone agreed with Caitlyn there.

"Well at least our time together isn't about to end anytime soon" Nate said. "We've still got Christmas and New Years to look forward to together" Mitchie and Caitlyn smiled at each other. This brought them back to one of the many conversations that they had last night, one regarding how lucky they were to have meet Connect 3 and in the process, acquired some really close friends.

Once breakfast was over, everyone moved to start getting ready for the trip to Shane's house. It didn't take long as the girls only had a few belongings left with them and the boys hadn't brought much either.

"What are we going to get the boys for Christmas?" Mitchie asked Caitlyn as the girls tidied up their room. Caitlyn stopped what she was doing and looked at Mitchie.

'You know, I hadn't even thought about that"

"Me either, until now" Mitchie said. "The boys have done everything for us. How on earth can we get them something to match that?"

"You should sing them a song" Caitlyn said with a grin. Mitchie stared at her best friend.

"What?"

"Think about it" Caitlyn said excitedly. "The boys have said multiple times how much they love your singing and your songs. What better way to thank them for everything than with a song written specifically for them?"

"I don't know..." Mitchie said. Caitlyn sighed.

"Oh come on Mitchie. You were just able to sing to a crowd of who knows how many people the other day. What is so different about these guys?"

"Fine I'll do it but we're going to need a backup plan" Mitchie said. Caitlyn grinned and hugged Mitchie.

"I'll work on the backup plan. You work on the song" Caitlyn said as she released Mitchie and went back to cleaning her stuff. Mitchie sighed and went back to making her bed.

"You girls ready to go?" Jason asked as he walked through the door.

"Almost there" Mitchie said.

"The trip is going to take a couple of hours so you may want to use the bathroom before we go. We don't know how many stops there are going to be"

"Thanks Jase" Caitlyn said with a smile. "We'll be ready in about ten minutes"

"Awesome" Jason said as he walked out of the room. The girls were quick to finish cleaning and were both ready by the door before the boys were there. They sat down on the carpet and started to have thumb wars.

"Alright, we're ready to go" Nate said as he walked into the living room.

"About time" Mitchie said with a grin on her face. "We've been waiting here for ages"

"You've only been waiting here for two minutes" Shane said with a laugh.

"Exactly like I said. Ages" Mitchie replied.

"Let's just get down to the car. Then you will know what ages feels like" Shane said as he opened the door and gestured for the girls to walk through. Mitchie smiled at Shane as she walked past before Caitlyn brought her attention onto a new conversation topic. When the group got downstairs, they found a car waiting for them. Jason had insisted that he drove so as that no one would need to drive out here just to take them home. Shane got into the passenger seat while Mitchie, Caitlyn and Nate took the back seats.

"Let's crank up some music" Caitlyn said as Jason started to drive off.

"Anything in particular?" Shane asked as he fiddled with the radio.

"No heavy metal or stuff like that" Mitchie said with a smile. Jason pouted.

"But that's my favourite kind of music" he said while the others laughed. Shane continued to switch through stations until a familiar song filled Mitchie and Caitlyn's ears.

"Leave it on this station" Caitlyn said.

"It's a country station though" Shane whined.

"Caitlyn and I grew up in a small country town" Mitchie said with a smirk. The girls laughed at Shane's expression before singing along to Carrie Underwood's cover of _God Bless the Broken Road._

"I have to admit that it's a pretty nice song" Nate said.

"I think I might listen to more country stuff back home" Jason said as he agreed with Nate. Everyone looked over at Shane.

"I guess the song was alright" he mumbled. Caitlyn laughed and looked around the car.

"All in favour of keeping the station on this one?" Everyone raised their hands. "It's settled then. We keep it on the country station"

For the next hour of driving, the group listened to the country station and Shane had to admit that he did like it. He already knew some of the songs seeing as he did grow up in the country but he wasn't too fond of his past. That was something that he had yet to talk with Mitchie about.

"Does anyone mind if we have a short pit stop?" Jason asked after an hour and a half if driving.

"I don't mind at all" Caitlyn said.

"Me either, I need to stretch my legs a bit" Nate said as he stretched his arms above his head. Jason pulled the car over at a small cafe with an attaching petrol station.

"I'll fill the car up while you guys can stretch your legs and grab something to eat" Jason said he pulled the car to a stop.

"Do you want anything Jason?" Mitchie asked as she opened the door.

"Maybe just a drink please?" Jason asked. Mitchie nodded.

"Let's go Mitchie" Shane said as he extended his hand out for Mitchie to take. Mitchie took it with a smile.

"Let's get some food" Mitchie said. Caitlyn and Nate were already walking up ahead of them, their arms swinging softly between them.

"Did Jason want anything?" Shane asked.

"Just a drink" Mitchie replied. Shane nodded.

"I'll get him something to snack on as well while we're driving"

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn called out. Mitchie looked up to see Caitlyn running towards her.

"What is it?"

"This place uses some of your mom's recipes! They have her double chocolate brownies!" Caitlyn said in a rush before she grabbed Mitchie's hand and started to run back towards the cafe. Shane just stood there wondering what had happened. He shook his head and quickly walked after the girls. He stopped once he reached the girls and saw what they were looking at. A picture of Connie had been put up over a plate of steaming hot brownies.

"Um, excuse me?" Mitchie asked the waitress behind the counter.

"What can I do for you sweetie?" the waitress asked. She appeared to be in her 50's and the group immediately felt comfortable around her.

"I was just wondering why you have my mother's picture up here." Mitchie said as she pointed to the picture. The cafe seemed to grow quiet at this point. The only sound was that of the door opening as Jason stepped inside.

"You're Connie's daughter?" the waitress asked. Mitchie nodded slowly. "Is she here with you? We would all love to see her again" At this comment, Mitchie dropped her head and everyone in the cafe could sense that this was a very tender subject and not for the right reasons.

"Connie passed away recently after the tornado that hit Canatella." Caitlyn explained softly to everyone. There was a collective gasp around the room.

"I'm so sorry dear" the waitress said. Mitchie smiled.

"It's okay"

"Your mother was a well loved woman in this cafe. She came here so often as a little girl. She'd sit at the counter and do all her homework while happily chatting with everyone. When she eventually applied for a job here, there was no way that we were going to refuse her"

"I remember her telling me stories about a small cafe where she used to spend all her spare time" Mitchie said.

"She was kind enough to drop of recipes every now and again when she was passing through. I can now remember her coming in when you were only a baby" the waitress said.

"Sorry, but what was your name?" Nate asked.

"Everyone calls me Mrs Jones"

"It's nice to meet you" Jason said. Mrs Jones smiled before she looked over at Mitchie.

"I've never met another woman quite like your mother. She never said a bad word about anyone. And she was one of the best cooks that I knew"

"Connie did always know how to make the best food" Caitlyn said. Mrs Jones turned to Caitlyn.

"Connie spoke of you often Caitlyn Geller" Caitlyn stared at Mrs Jones. "You and your brother"

"Really?" Caitlyn asked. Mrs Jones nodded.

"She spoke of you as if you were her own daughter" Caitlyn smiled.

"I have to say that she never mentioned these boys that you were with" Mrs Jones said as she looked at Jason, Shane and Nate.

"We've only come into the picture recently" Jason said.

"I guess that says a lot. Connie hasn't been here in a couple of months"

"Why didn't she bring me to meet you in the last few years?" Mitchie asked.

"We can never know. She would have had a good reason" Mrs Jones answered. "Now why don't you five sit down and rest. Foods on me today"

"You don't need to do that Mrs Jones" Nate said. Mrs Jones shook her head.

"It's the least I can do here. Connie was a dear friend of mine and she will always be remembered" Mrs Jones said softly as she placed a hand on Mitchie's cheek. Mitchie grew uncomfortable with the way that Mrs Jones was looking at her.

"You have too much fear and doubt in your heart my dear" Mrs Jones switched her gaze between Mitchie and Shane. Mitchie turned her gaze from Mrs Jones towards Shane who was also looking at her.

"Trust him love" Mrs Jones whispered to Mitchie. "It's the same thing that your mother would have told you" Mitchie didn't know what it was but something in what Mrs Jones said caused something to break in Mitchie. She stepped forward into Mrs Jones already open arms and cried. The other could only stand by helplessly. Mrs Jones motioned for Shane to come forward and when he was close enough, she turned Mitchie into his arms. Mitchie barely noticed what was happening as she now clung to Shane.

"Take her round the back. You two can have some privacy down there" Mrs Jonas said to Shane. Shane nodded as he began to lead Mitchie out back. Caitlyn wiped away a few tears.

"I hate seeing her cry" Mrs Jones towards Caitlyn.

"I know that it pains you but she needs to let it all out. If she doesn't then it's going to build up too much for her. Allow her as much time as she needs to grieve her mother. Apart from you, they only had each other" Caitlyn nodded her head. "I know it's going to seem hard with Mitchie now learning to trust that boy more than she does, but it doesn't mean that she's going to lose or replace you in the process"

"I know that now" Caitlyn said. "Thank you"

"Now you lot sit down and I'll bring you out some food" Nate placed his hand in the small of Caitlyn's back as Jason led them over to a table away from everyone. Caitlyn couldn't help but glance down the way that Shane and Mitchie had gone. Mrs Jones had told Mitchie exactly what she had told her. Although, Mrs Jones had said it in a way that Caitlyn could see had greatly impacted Mitchie. She just hoped that Shane was going to be able to calm her down.

* * *

**So how was that? I know that everything still seems a little sad but I'm going to gradually lift the mood here :)**

**I hope that you all have an awesome Easter **

**xx  
**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey guys. I know you must hate me with my long updates. I barely have time to write anymore which i'm kind of annoyed about. Sorry that this chapter is small but i wanted to get something posted and if i wrote anything longer, the update would take a while. Feel free to yell at me or anything to push me to update faster coz i want to get this story finished for you so that i can start my others. :) **

**

* * *

****Chapter 31**

Shane walked Mitchie through the small crowd of people until he came to doors that lead them to an area out the back. Mitchie was still crying but her tears had started to subside.

"Are you okay Mitchie?" Shane asked when Mitchie had stopped crying. Mitchie nodded into his shirt.

"I guess I wasn't expecting any of that to happen" Mitchie said as drew away from Shane slightly.

"I don't think any of us were" Shane said as he brushed some of Mitchie's hair out of her face.

"I wonder why my mom never told me about this place." Mitchie questioned.

"She would of had her reasons" Shane said as he passed Mitchie a bottle of water that had been placed on one of the shelves. Mitchie mumbled her thanks as she took a sip.

"You heard what Mrs Jones said to me didn't you? About you" Mitchie said. Shane nodded. "Just understand that I really don't want to be this…cautious, I guess. It's just that with everything that has happened…" Mitchie trailed off as Shane held up a hand.

"I really don't want you explaining anything to me. You've been through a lot and I'm not going to push you to do anything. I just want you to know that I'm always here for you" Shane said softly.

"Why must you be so understanding?" Mitchie asked through a watery laugh. Shane grinned.

"I ask myself the same question all the time"

"Well keep asking yourself that question because I want an answer some day" Mitchie said. Shane smiled at her and the two fell into a comfortable silence for a moment.

"You know that I'm never going to be like Carter right?" Shane asked suddenly, startling Mitchie. Mitchie looked over at him before looking down at her feet.

"I know that, but what he did really hurt me and I've never been able to quite get over that. I guess that is what is stopping me from being able to trust you as much as I want. There is just something there telling me to keep you at a certain length to protect myself"

"You've let me get close to you before though. I do seem to remember a certain incident in a tent a couple of days ago" Shane said with a smirk adorning his face. Mitchie blushed a deep red and kept her eyes on the floor. Shane laughed softly at Mitchie. "You were able to trust me enough to let me get that close. I know that you can do it again Mitchie" A sigh escaped Mitchie's lips as she looked up at Shane.

"Does that mean you want to kiss me again?" Mitchie quietly asked. Shane shrugged.

"I do but I don't. If that makes sense" Shane said. "I mean I want to kiss you again but I don't want to if you're not sure"

"You're really sweet Shane" Mitchie said with a soft smile. "You, Nate and Jason. The three of you have been perfect gentlemen to us" Shane smiled.

"It's something our parents taught us at a very early age and it's just carried on through the years"

"It's not something that you find often" Mitchie said.

"Does it give us point?" Shane asked with a grin. Mitchie laughed and nodded.

"Yes you get points for that"

"Come on. Let's go out to the others. They're probably wondering how you are" Shane said. Mitchie smiled as the two got up and walked back towards the front of the cafe.

Caitlyn jumped up out of her seat as soon as she saw Mitchie walking out with Shane. Shane moved out of the way just in time as Caitlyn wrapped her arms around Mitchie.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Mitchie said with a smile. "There were just some things that I needed to talk with Shane about"

"If you're sure," Caitlyn said. Mitchie nodded. "We ordered you guys some food. It's just come out to the table"

"Great. I'm starved" Shane said as he walked ahead of the girls.

"Boys and their food" Mitchie said under her breath which caused both girls to laugh quietly as they followed Shane towards the table.

* * *

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

* * *

An hour later, the boys were waiting for Mitchie and Caitlyn to finish saying goodbye to Mrs Jones.

"Thank you for everything today" Caitlyn said as Mrs Jones hugged her.

"It was no trouble dears"

"We'll come back one day" Mitchie said with a smile as she accepted a hug from the elderly lady.

"Make sure you do" Mrs Jones said with a smile. The group waved once more as the exited the building.

"Well that wasn't an ordinary pit stop" Jason said with a smile.

"It was certainly an eye opener" Mitchie commented softly while she shared a glance with Shane. The group piled back into the car for the next half of their journey. Christmas was only days away and the girls were both nervous and excited. During the car ride, Mitchie and Caitlyn had taken the back seat and Caitlyn was helping Mitchie write her song for the boys. Luckily for her, Shane and Nate were asleep and Jason was concentrating on driving. For now they were just writing down ideas for the song. Mitchie would hum a tune under her breath and then write down lyrics that seemed to fit it. Caitlyn would listen to the tune and write down ways that the song could be heard.

"This is going to be amazing" Caitlyn said quietly so as the boys wouldn't hear her. Mitchie just smiled.

"I want this to be perfect"

"It will" Caitlyn said. "It'll be perfect for them no matter how it turns out" Mitchie nodded, knowing that Caitlyn was right. The boys were going to love anything that she gave to them.

"We're here" Jason said about 20 minutes later. The girls looked up from their game of noughts and crosses to see a simple two storey white house.

"This is definitely going to be a different Christmas this year" Mitchie commented to Caitlyn as they waited for Nate and Shane to wake themselves up before exiting the car.

"Ya think?" Caitlyn asked with a laugh.

"There's no need to be scared" Shane said with a grin. "It's only my family" Mitchie smiled at him.

"Lead the way then popstar"

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**Like i said.. im really sorry that this chapter is soooo short. Hopefully the next one will be longer and will come soon. **


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey guys. I've got another chapter for you and this one is pretty long. It's longer than the previous one that is for sure. :)****  
****I finally got a new computer so updating should be a little faster but i can't promise you anything. I'm pretty sure though that you are going to like this chapter.**

**

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**Chapter 32**

Shane's family were very welcoming towards Mitchie and Caitlyn. The girls stood their awkwardly while the boys explained what had happened. Throughout the while introduction, Mitchie noticed that Shane seemed a little awkward around his family and she remembered something that Shane had told her after the concert.

_*Flashback*_

_"__Let's wait a couple of weeks until things die down" Shane said. "Then we can talk about everything and see where this goes" _

_"__That works for me because there are a few things that I do want to tell you, seeing as the other boys already know" Mitchie said. _

_"__Like what?" Shane asked. Mitchie bit her lip before answering. _

_"__After the whole prom incident, I formed an eating disorder. There are times when I still battle with it but when I think about it…. I have never been more ashamed of myself" Mitchie said with a shake of her head while tears leaked out of her eyes. Shane pulled Mitchie closer to him. "Why aren't you saying anything about how disgusted at me you are?" Mitchie asked. Shane just pulled Mitchie tighter against him. _

_"__Like I said before, I'm not going to judge you on anything you say. We all have skeletons in our closet like that" _

_"__What skeletons do you have?" Mitchie asked. _

_"__I'm not all I'm cracked up to be in the media. I have lied a little bit about my past because to start off with, I was ashamed of where I was from. I'll go more into it later but yea. That's one of my skeletons" Shane said. Mitchie smiled. _

_"__Thank you" she whispered. Shane smiled and kissed her forehead. _

_*End Flashback*_

Glancing over at Shane, Mitchie noticed that he was looking at her. They both shared a smile and Mitchie knew that they were thinking about the same thing.

"Oh you poor dear" Mrs Grey said, cutting through Mitchie's thoughts. Mitchie gave a small smile. "You and Caitlyn are welcome to stay here anytime"

"Thank you Mrs Grey" Caitlyn said.

"It's no problem and please, call me Lucy. Now I'm going to go and make you all some hot chocolate. Jason and Nate, your families should be here around dinner time" Mrs Grey said as she left the room.

"Your mom is really nice" Caitlyn said to Shane. Shane smiled.

"Of course she is nice. She takes after me" Shane said. The caused the group to erupt in laughter and Shane couldn't help but join in. After the laughter had died down, the group got themselves comfortable in front of the fire and talked about whatever came to mind. Lucy walked back into the room with the hot chocolate to see her son and his friends laughing at a story Caitlyn seemed to be telling.

"You actually caught your brother doing that?" Jason asked through his laughs. Caitlyn nodded.

"He didn't even see

* * *

me there. I recorded him singing the entire song" This produced another round of laughter until Shane looked up to see his mom.

"Hey mom" he said. Everyone else looked up and smiled at her.

"Hot chocolates are here" Lucy said as she put the tray on the coffee table. A chorus of 'thank you' came from everyone. "What had you all laughing just before?" Lucy asked. She had never seen her son laugh so hard. Not since his brother moved across the country.

"A few years ago I accidently walked in on my brother singing and dancing to a Beyonce song in his room" Caitlyn explained with a grin. A few giggles escaped everyone's lips hearing the story again.

"Where is your brother now?"

"He's studying overseas at the moment" Caitlyn said.

"You must miss him" Lucy said with a sad smile. She snuck a glance at Shane to see that his shoulders had slumped slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy noticed that Mitchie frowned at Shane's actions.

"I do but hopefully he'll be home soon"

"I'm sure that he feels the same way" Lucy said before she left the room. Everyone said bye to her before launching back into their conversations.

* * *

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

* * *

Hours later after everyone else had arrived and dinner was over, Mitchie found herself sprawled out on her stomach on front of the fire in the living room with her songbook in front of her. Scribbling words here and there, it was no surprise that Mitchie didn't hear anyone else walk into the room.

"Hey" Shane said and Mitchie jumped a little. She turned to look at him with a smile.

"Don't scare me like that" she said. Shane grinned.

"Sorry" he said as he lay down beside her. "What are you doing down here?"

"It's nice and warm down here" Mitchie said as she snuggled in closer to the blanket she had wrapped around her. Shane laughed,

"Mind if I join you?"

"I don't mind at all" Mitchie said with a smile as Shane lay down beside her. Both sat in silence for a few minutes and Mitchie kept glancing over at Shane to see that he looked like he was struggling with something. Before Mitchie could open her mouth to ask him what was wrong, Shane started to speak.

"Did you know that I have an older brother?" he asked. Mitchie shook her head. "His name was Tyson and he was my best friend. We did everything together. As he got older though, he started to get caught up in the wrong scene. He went out partying every night and wouldn't come home until the next morning. I knew that I didn't want to become like that. I didn't want to drink so much that I couldn't remember anything that happened the night before and so I confronted my brother about it. We had this massive argument and didn't speak to each other for weeks."

"Where is he now?" Mitchie asked softly.

"He moved to Canada with his girlfriend. That was three years ago and he has never once come home or even tried to contact us. We've tried looking for him but we always come to a dead end. I was so angry with my brother that after we got discovered, any interviews we went to and they asked about our families, I told them that it was just me and my mom"

"What about your dad?"

"He's working in Australia at the moment. He's barely home" Shane explained.

"Thank you for sharing this with me" Mitchie said softly. "It really means a lot"

"No worries" Shane said as he stared at the fire. "I guess no one is perfect"

"We don't need to be" Mitchie said. "Perfect people are annoying"

"So are you saying I'm annoying?" Shane asked, feigning hurt. Mitchie raised her eyebrows.

"Didn't you just say that no one is perfect?"

"I know. I was talking about everyone else. Me on the other hand..."Shane trailed off with a grin.

"Jerk" Mitchie said with a laugh.

"You mean a perfect jerk" Shane said. Mitchie shook her head.

"Nope, just a jerk"

"Either way, I'm still a jerk that you happen to like" At this statement, Mitchie blushed and lowered her head. Taking a deep breath and looking back at Shane smiled.

"Unfortunately" Shane nodded until he realised what she said.

"Hey!" he said. Mitchie erupted in giggles. Neither of them noticed Lucy standing in the doorway watching them silently. She heard Shane replay the story about his brother to Mitchie. The only other people he had told were Nate and Jason. Mitchie must be one special girl to earn her sons trust.

"You left that one wide open. How could I not use it?" Mitchie asked once she had stopped laughing.

"You think you're so funny don't you?" Shane asked. Mitchie nodded.

"I have my moments"

"Would you like to dance?" Shane asked suddenly.

"What?" Mitchie asked, startled by the sudden change in topic.

"I said, would you like to dance?" Shane repeated with a smile.

"There's no music" Mitchie said as she watched Shane stand up.

"There's a radio here. Come on" Mitchie bit her lip as she looked back at the fire. Shane watched Mitchie. He could see that she was scared because of what had happened before. He wanted to hurt Carter for doing this to Mitchie. "I know I've said this to you before Mitchie but I'm going to say it again just to reassure you. I'm not Carter. I'm not going to hurt you"

"I know" Mitchie said quietly. "I guess if I'm going to learn to trust people more, I need to take the first step" With that, Mitchie slowly stood up from her position on the floor. Shane smiled as he turned the radio on. Of course a Christmas carol would be playing. Lucy watched as her son took the correct position and showed Mitchie what to do. Deciding to leave them, Lucy decided to go and check on everyone else.

* * *

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

**

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**

"Is everyone alright up here?" Lucy asked as she walked into the upstairs rumpus room. Caitlyn, Nate and Jason looked up and smiled.

"Everything is great Mrs G" Jason said and Lucy laughed at the old nickname.

"Would you happen to know where Shane and Mitchie are?" Caitlyn asked.

"They're downstairs in the living room. I believe Shane's asked her to dance with him"

"Shane's dancing?" Nate asked. Lucy nodded.

"I saw him ask her himself, although Mitchie did seem a little apprehensive"

"Mitchie's been through some things that have caused her to have a lack of trust in people" Caitlyn said. Lucy nodded again and decided against asking anything else. It was obvious to see that her son cared for Mitchie as well as Jason and Nate. She wasn't going to make them explain Mitchie's story, she would wait until Mitchie was ready to tell it herself.

"Alright then. Goodnight"

"Goodnight" everyone chorused. Lucy smiled to herself as she walked out of the room. Christmas this year was definitely going to be different.

"I find it hard to believe that Shane asked Mitchie to dance" Nate said once Mrs Grey had left the room. The others agreed.

"I'm finding it hard to believe that Mitchie is actually dancing with him. She's not too fond of dancing" Caitlyn said.

"But you two were dancing on our float at the parade" Jason said.

"That was just dancing for the fun of it. We do that all the time. I mean, I'm surprised that Mitchie is dancing with Shane. The type of dancing that you would do with your date at prom" Caitlyn said and the boys understood what she was trying to say.

"So Mitchie has avoided dancing like that ever since Carter?" Nate asked and Caitlyn nodded.

"If I ever see him again, there is nothing that is going to stop me from giving him a piece of my mind"

"I'm right behind you" Jason said. Nate nodded.

"Me as well"

"It definitely ain't going to be pretty should we ever see him" Caitlyn said with a laugh. The boys laughed and agreed with her.

"With Shane around, I hate to think of what would happen" Nate said.

"That would get messy" Jason said.

"Messy? It would be more than just messy" Caitlyn said.

"It would be a disaster!" Nate exclaimed. Caitlyn couldn't help but laugh. She knew that if they ever did run into Carter, it would not be pleasant.

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**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

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Shane and Mitchie gently swayed in the living room. The Christmas carols produced a sweet melody and Mitchie couldn't help but feel content in that moment.

"Can you believe that you are actually dancing?" Shane asked Mitchie. Mitchie lifted her head to look up at Shane and shook her head.

"I thought it would take years for me to finally be able to actually dance with someone"

"It just means that you are learning to trust me" Shane explained and Mitchie smiled.

"I guess it does mean that"

"And how do you feel?"

"I feel pretty good" Mitchie said with a laugh. Shane laughed with her.

"I told you that you could trust me"

"That you did"

"How much do you trust me?" Shane asked after a moment of silence.

"Pardon?" Mitchie asked. Her concentration had drifted off to the song that was playing.

"I asked you how much do you trust me" Shane repeated.

"As much as i do Caitlyn" Mitchie responded and Shane smiled.

"Close your eyes for me" Shane said softly.

"Why?" Mitchie asked, slightly nervous as to what Shane was going to do.

"Just trust me" he said and Mitchie glared at him. She knew that he was testing her.

"Fine" Mitchie said as she closed her eyes. Before Mitchie even thought to ask Shane what he was going to do, she suddenly felt Shane's breath on her face and immediately knew what he was going to do. Instead of feeling scared, Mitchie was sort of looking forward to what was about to happen and it didn't take a long time. All too soon, Shane softly kissed her.

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**soooo... what did you think? :D**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey guys. I'm soooo sorry its taking me so long to update this story. I've just been soo busy and had writers block on what to do next with this story but i think i've finally got it going again. i'll leave that up to you though. **

* * *

**Chapter 33**

Mitchie could not wipe the smile off of her face as she lay down in bed later that night. Mitchie knew that Caitlyn had yet to fall asleep due to her tossing and turning.

"What's running through your mind?" Mitchie asked.

"I want to know what was going on with you and Shane downstairs" Caitlyn said. Mitchie smiled.

"We weren't doing much. Just talking" she said. Caitlyn smirked.

"Really? Just talked? Because I heard a little story that you two were dancing"

"Oh" Mitchie said with a blush.

"You're not denying it so it must be true" Caitlyn exclaimed. Mitchie laughed.

"So we may have danced. It's nothing too exciting"

"It is for you" Caitlyn said quietly.

"The way Shane says things, it makes it hard for me to not trust him" Mitchie explained. Caitlyn smiled.

"Who would have thought that it would be Shane Grey of all people to get through your walls?"

"It's one very crazy world"

"A crazy world where we are not starstruck by Connect 3 anymore and we are proving this by spending Christmas with them" Caitlyn said with a laugh. Mitchie laughed along with her.

"No one would believe us" Mitchie said.

"All the girls at school would just think that we were making something up to be popular" Caitlyn continued with a grin. "And then they would ask us to prove it so that they could see us make fools out of ourselves and when we could actually present Connect 3 with us, everyone would be fighting to be our friends"

"You've really thought about this, haven't you?" Mitchie asked. Caitlyn nodded.

"They made school miserable for us. We could totally one up those girls but we're actually nice people and we wouldn't use the boys like that" Caitlyn said, finishing with a sigh.

"I know how you feel" Mitchie said.

"You should. You went through the worst of it all" Caitlyn said with a laugh. "And yet you still manage to hold your head up high"

"With some difficulty" Mitchie added. "Let's not talk about this anymore. It's Christmas Eve tomorrow!"

"How is your song coming along for the boys?" Caitlyn asked. "Because I've been going over some beats i could put to the song" Mitchie nodded.

"Let me just get my guitar" Caitlyn waited impatiently while Mitchie fetched her guitar and songbook. When Mitchie returned to her bed, Caitlyn grinned. "I'll give you a quick run through because I need to ad another verse in there" Caitlyn nodded while Mitchie began to strum her guitar and start to sing softly so as that the boys would not hear.

You have my heart

And we'll never be worlds apart

May be in magazines

But you'll still be my star

Baby cause in the dark

You can't see shiny cars

And that's when you need me there

With you I'll always share

Because

When the sun shines, we'll shine together

Told you I'll be here forever

Said I'll always be a friend

Took an oath I'ma stick it out till the end

Now that it's raining more than ever

Know that we'll still have each other

You can stand under my umbrella

You can stand under my umbrella

(Ella ella eh eh eh)

Under my umbrella

(Ella ella eh eh eh)

Under my umbrella

(Ella ella eh eh eh)

Under my umbrella

(Ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)

You can run into my arms

It's ok don't be alarmed

Come here to me

There's no distance in between our love

So go on and let the rain pour

I'll be all you need and more

Because

When the sun shines, we'll shine together

Told you I'll be here forever

Said I'll always be a friend

Took an oath I'ma stick it out till the end

Now that it's raining more than ever

Know that we'll still have each other

You can stand under my umbrella

You can stand under my umbrella

(Ella ella eh eh eh)

Under my umbrella

(Ella ella eh eh eh)

Under my umbrella

(Ella ella eh eh eh)

Under my umbrella

(Ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)

"That's amazing Mitchie" Caitlyn said once Mitchie had finished. Mitchie smiled.

"Have you got some music to put behind it or should I just leave it as an acoustic song?"

"Leave it acoustic" Caitlyn said immediately. "It gives it that raw feeling which will be amazing for the boys on Christmas morning"

"I hope they like it" Mitchie said softly while biting her lip.

"I know they will Mitch, especially if it comes from you"

"I'm scared to see what they might do for us" Mitchie said after a moment's silence.

"Me too. I don't think any good would come of us going to them and asking them to not do anything" Caitlyn said thoughtfully. Mitchie laughed.

"I don't think so either. What are you going to do for them?"

"Our camera has got a few group pictures on them. I'm going to print some off and frame them for the boys"

"They would love that" Mitchie said.

"I hope so" Caitlyn said before the two fell into silence once more. Caitlyn looked over at Mitchie and knew that she was keeping something more from her. Mitchie would get a faraway look on her face and would not stop smiling.

"Alright spill. What aren't you telling me?"

"What are you talking about?" Mitchie asked.

"Something else happened downstairs with you and Shane than just dancing and talking. What else happened?"

"Well..."

"Did he kiss you?" Caitlyn asked suddenly. At Mitchie's silence, Caitlyn quietly squealed. "Oh my gosh! So what does this mean?"

"Well we haven't given it a label yet" Mitchie said. "Shane's willing to take it really slow with me, to get me comfortable with the whole thing and to prove to me that I can trust him with my heart"

"That's so sweet" Mitchie smiled.

"I know"

* * *

****

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"So what are you boys going to do for the girls for Christmas?" Lucy asked the as they sat in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate like they always did at Christmas time. She had already been up to check on the girls and had heard Mitchie's present for the boys.

"We want to see if we can fly Caitlyn's brother out here to spend Christmas with her and Mitchie" Jason said. Lucy felt her jaw drop.

"Don't swallow a fly mom" Shane said with a laugh. Lucy closed her mouth. She was happy to see that Shane was slowly becoming more comfortable being home.

"Why are you three going to such lengths for these girls?"

"They're our closest friends apart from our families and ourselves" Nate answered.

"Mitchie was quick to invite us into her home and treat us as real friends, not just celebrities and these two have lost a lot in however long we have known them. We want to repay them for letting us stay with them while they went through some really tough times" Shane said.

"What if you can't get him over?"

"That's why we're working on some backup plans" Jason said with a smile.

"Well I'll leave you to it. Goodnight boys"

"Night mom"

"Goodnight"

"Night Mrs G" Lucy smiled before she exited the kitchen. Christmas was certainly going to be interesting this year.

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**So how is it? i sort of have an idea of how to create some more drama in this story and im sure some of you will be able to figure out how i would be going to do that :p**

**Hopefully my next update won't take sooo long. I really want to get this story finished**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey guys. I'm so incredibly sorry that i have not updated in sooo long. Everything is just piling up on me and i have barely any free time. **

**I understand if you guys have lost interest in this story but I WILL GET THIS FINISHED. **

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**Chapter 34**

There was an excited buzz around the house the next morning. Jason and Nate's families had arrived the previous night and were staying the the guest house as they had done previous years. The families were very excited about meeting Mitchie and Caitlyn and Nate's family couldn't help but gush about Nate and Caitlyn. Mitchie, Shane and Jason laughed at the redness in their faces. Breakfast was a chaotic time as everyone came and went. Mitchie and Caitlyn stood to the sides a bit as they weren't sure what to do.

"Aren't you girls going to eat something?" Jason asked, appearing behind them. Mitchie and Caitlyn looked up at him, seeing Shane and Nate standing there as well.

"We don't know where to start" Caitlyn said, looking at the large number of people in the kitchen.

"You just gotta learn how to get in and out fast" Shane said. "What would you two like?"

"We were just going after some fruit" Mitchie said, smiling up at Shane.

"Stay here and we'll get it for you" Nate said as the three boys made their way into the kitchen.

"At least they know what they are doing" Mitchie said as she watched the boys move around the crowded kitchen with ease. The boys returned quickly with plates of breakfast.

"We're going to eat outside. It's too stuffy in here" Jason said as he gestured with his head for the girls to follow him. The five of them quietly made their way from the others to the backyard porch.

"Can you believe that it's christmas tomorrow?" Caitlyn asked as the group settled on the chairs.

"I want tomorrow to be here now" Mitchie said with a grin. "Christmas is my favourite time of year"

"I'm sure this year Christmas is gonna a whole lot different for you" Jason said with a smile. "Prepare yourselves for the chaos that will ensure"

"We don't mind" Caitlyn said. "Our Christmas's were always pretty simple and quiet. It will be nice to experience something different"

"And everyone already considers you part of the family" Shane said. Mitchie smiled at Shane. He scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a light kiss to her forehead. The others saw this but didn't say anything. Caitlyn grinned, knowing how their relationship had been progressing.

"So what are the plans for today?" Mitchie asked.

"Well you are welcome to come shopping with us or you two can do your own things today" Nate said.

"Are you sure we can come with you? We won't be imposing at all?" Caitlyn asked. The boys shook their head.

"You are more than welcome. You've seen how many people are in there. We need help finishing the presents and such."

"Now? It's Christmas Eve" Mitchie said.

"We always leave things to the last minute" Shane said.

"It's just the way we have done it the past few years" Jason explained. The girls nodded and continued to eat their breakfast. Once everyone was finished, they all went their separate ways to get ready for the day, agreeing to meet up in about an hour to leave.

An hour later, the group were waiting by the door for Shane to come. He had gone to tell his mum where they were all going.

"I hope you plan on making this christmas special for those girls" his mum had said to him before he left.

"Don't worry mum. Mitchie means a lot to me and both girls have become our best friends. We're doing everything we can to make them happy this christmas"

"Shane!" Nate called out, wanting to leave. Shane quickly kissed his mum on the cheek and rushed out the door to meet the others.

"Let's go" Shane said as he followed the others out the door.

"Finally" Jason said with a smile. The group left the house and made their way to Shane's old car.

"Nice car Shane" Caitlyn said with a laugh as she observed the old blue car.

"I can't believe you still have this thing" Nate said as Shane laughed.

"I can't find it in my heart to part with it"

"How long have you had it?" Mitchie asked.

"It was my dad's first car" Shane said. Mitchie smiled at him as she grabbed his hand. The other boys smiled and continued to make their way to the car. Once unlocked, Mitchie, Caitlyn and Jason while Nate and Shane climbed into the passenger and drivers seats respectively.

"So what are the plans?" Mitchie asked.

"We make our way to our old hangout, wrap up all the presents, grab some lunch and then head home. It's been our tradition for the last few years or so" Jason explained.

"Cool" Caitlyn said.

"I feel bad that we don't have anything to give to your families" Mitchie said as she looked at Caitlyn.

"Don't worry about it" Nate said with a smile. "Our families aren't expecting anything because these plans were made so close to christmas"

"But-"

"No buts" Shane said. Mitchie and Caitlyn sat back with a huff.

"We need to get them something" Caitlyn said in a hushed whisper.

"But what?" Mitchie asked.

"Later" Caitlyn said, signalling that now wasn't the right time to talk about this.

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X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

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After driving for 15 minutes, Shane pulled up at a cozy looking cafe.

"Are you guys hungry?" Caitlyn asked. The boys smiled and said nothing as they all climbed out of the car. The girls silently followed the boys as they walked into the cafe. The boys waved to someone who appeared to be a chef and continued to walk towards the back of the room.

"What's going on?" Mitchie asked.

"This is our hangout" Nate said. The girls confusion was shown clearly on their faces. Jason laughed and pointed to where Shane was lowering a ladder that looked like it would lead up to an attic.

"Before we went to camp rock, this cafe is where we would always hang out" Shane explained. "We were here so often, got our first jobs here and we played here on open mic nights. The owner who we waved to before, Jack, is an old family friend. He gave us this attic as our hangout spot as it was going unused. Leading up to christmas, we would either drop the presents off here ourselves or post them to Jack and he would bring them up here for us"

"That's so cool" Mitchie said.

"Wait till you climb the ladder" Nate said, gesturing for the girls to go first. Mitchie made her way up the ladder first followed closely by Caitlyn. The gasps coming from the girls once they had reached the top caused the boys to laugh before they also made their way up the ladder.

"This place is awesome" Caitlyn said once the boys arrived.

"I know right" Nate said. "We never wanted to leave this place"

"I can see why" Mitchie said. The room was a good size with 2 big windows on either side. One corner was obviously storing all the christmas presents that would be wrapped this morning. There was a small set up of instruments with stacks of sheet music everywhere. There were various photos scattered on the walls and an assortment of beanbags. All in all, it was the perfect hangout.

"Let's get wrapping these presents" Shane said. The others nodded and made their way over to the pile.

"Each present has a name taped to it so you won't get confused about who they are for" Jason explained to the girls. Everyone was quick to get to work and quick to make their way through the pile. The girls missed the looks that the boys shared with each other before Nate stood up.

"Anyone want some snacks?" he asked.

"Yes please" everyone else answered. Nate nodded as he made his way down the stairs. He didn't immediately go and grab food. Instead, he made his way towards a corner of the cafe where the girls wouldn't be able to hear him as he made an important phone call.

"Hi Jake, It's Nate again"

* * *

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

* * *

"Where's Nate with the food?" Mitchie asked 15 minutes later. Shane laughed.

"Relax, he's probably just talking with Jack and organising lunch for us as well"

"I think he ran out so that he wouldn't have to wrap any more presents" Caitlyn said with a grin, looking at the pile of about 7 presents left.

"Probably" Jason said with a laugh.

"Where's the bathroom here?" Mitchie asked.

"Just climb down the ladder and turn right. You can't miss it" Shane said. Mitchie smiled and began to make her way down the ladder.

"Wait for me" Caitlyn said quickly, jumping up to follow Mitchie. Once they had climbed down, they bumped into Nate coming back towards the attic.

"You took your time" Mitchie said while Nate grinned.

"I was talking to Jack and he's setting up lunch for us in about an hour. Plus I had to decide what to bring up for everyone"

"Well don't eat it all without us" Caitlyn said as she and Mitchie walked over to the bathroom.

"I can't promise you anything" Nate said with a laugh. The girls laughed as they walked through the door.

"They better not eat all that food" Caitlyn said seriously. Mitchie laughed softly as she walked over the mirror.

"What are we going to do about the presents?" she asked.

"I have absolutely no idea." Caitlyn said with a sigh. "You could always make them all mini christmas cakes like your mum used to make for us" she suggested. Mitchie was about to disagree when she stopped herself. Though it wouldn't be much, it would still enable the girls to give something to the boys and their families.

"You know that could work" Mitchie said.

"Seriously?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie nodded.

"We could get the boys to help us and maybe we could make them here in the cafe." Caitlyn smiled.

"I like your thinking. How do we tell the boys?"

"We'll tell them during lunch" Mitchie said. "Now lets go and see if they've eaten all the food or not" The girls exited the bathroom and made their way back up the ladder. Once they reached the top, they noticed that the boys hadn't touched any of the food.

"We decided to wait for you" Jason said.

"That's sweet of you" Mitchie said as she sat down next to Shane.

"Wait till tomorrow, there won't be any waiting for the food" Nate said.

"Its gets pretty chaotic" Jason said as he reached over to grab one of the muffins that Nate had brought up.

"I'm sure it's the perfect Christmas though" Mitchie said. The boys all looked at each other before grinning and nodding their heads. The group finished off their snacks before continuing to wrap the presents and get them ready to take down to the car. Once the car had been loaded, lunch was served which consisted of hamburgers. The girls had pitched their idea to the boys and at first they told the girls not to worry about it but the girls managed to put up a good fight. The boys finally agreed and after lunch they were able to use part of the kitchen to make however many cakes they needed. Once they were done, it was already late in the afternoon. They loaded the cakes into the car and made their way back to the house. The girls were worried that everyone would find everyone else's presents but the boys assured them that there was a rule in the house that told everyone that if they went searching for presents, there would be none to open on Christmas morning. The families all had dinner before each retreating to do their own thing. The girls ran away to their room where they put the final touches on the song for the boys. At about 10:00pm, the boys called them down for some hot chocolate before bed. They stayed down in the kitchen for the next hour and a half before retreating to bed. They all bid each other goodnight before going their separate ways, the excitement of tomorrow already starting to bubble up in everyone's stomach.

* * *

**So that is that chapter. I'm hoping to get the next one written soon. I finish my course in 4 weeks and then i'll have more time to write stories. I've missed writing them :(**

**Well i hope enjoyed that and that you dont all hate me for taking so long to update :)**


	35. Chapter 35 Christmas Day Part 1

Hey guys. I'm so inredibly sorry that it has taken me soooo long to update but I was busy with work and finishing up my course for the year. It's all done now so I should have more time to write :)

I completely understand if any of you are not interested in the story anymore. I have made you all wait a very long time for this and i am very very very sorry. Hopefully i will be able to finish this story soon for you so that there will be no more waiting :p

I hope that you all have a very merry christmas and an awesome new years :D

I'll work very hard on getting an update for you soon. I'll write non stop for you if i can. xoxo

* * *

**Chapter 35 - Christmas Day**

Mitchie and Caitlyn awoke to the sounds of kids screaming excitedly down the hallways followed by the laughter of their parents. The girls grinned at each other before Caitlyn pounced on Mitchie's bed. Both girls collapsed in laughter.

"Merry christmas" they both said with wide grins. Their moment was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Caitlyn asked.

"Can we come in?" Jason's voice asked through the door.

"Yes" the girls said, smiling widely when the boys walked into the room, each wearing a christmas hat.

"Merry Christmas!" the boys all but shouted. The girls laughed some more as they returned the greeting.

"You've got to wear the hats" Jason said as he walked forward with two santa hats. The girls accepted them and placed them on their heads.

"Well lets go" Caitlyn said as she stood up from the bed. The group nodded and Mitchie accepted the hand that Shane held out to her.

"Merry Christmas" he whispered as he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Mitchie smiled before she mirrored his actions. The goofy smile that light up Shane's face was enough to make the group laugh.

"Come on lover boy" Nate teased as he began to walk out of the room. The rest followed suit with Caitlyn leaping onto Nate's back. Nate let out a grunt as the impact caused him to stumble forward a bit.

"Thanks for that" he said. Caitlyn grinned.

"No problem" she said as she wrapped her arms around Nate's neck. The others laughed as they made their way down to where the Christmas tree had been set up. Mitchie and Caitlyn kept back a little bit as they didn't know how everything worked. They simply followed the boys, greeting everyone as they passed them. Lucy stood and walked over to the girls.

"Merry christmas" she said as each of the girls were embraced in a hug.

"Merry Christmas Lucy" the girls said as they made themselves comfortable near the boys. Once everyone has seated themselves, everyone's presents began to get handed out. Mitchie and Caitlyn watched as the younger kids faces lit up. They protested a bit their own names were called out but everyone just ignored them and moved onto the next person. The boys laughed at the girls as they sat down with their presents.

"There's no need to feel guilty" Shane told them.

"I know but…"

"No buts. Just enjoy it" Jason said as he unwrapped his own gift. The girls sighed before smiling and tearing at the wrapping. Mitchie had told Lucy in advance what she was going to do for the boys so that everything would be prepared. Caitlyn had snuck off to the kitchen quickly and grabbed the boxes of mini cakes to give out to everyone.

"Mitchie?" Lucy called out. Mitchie looked up.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to give your present now?" Lucy asked. Mitchie smiled and nodded as she got up. The boys looked on in confusion as Mitchie walked over to where an acoustic guitar was leaning against the wall. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on Mitchie.

"Well as many of you know by now, Myself and Caitlyn haven't known the boys very long but they have been amazing to us after I just lost my mum. We're both really grateful that you've taken us in this Christmas and this is just to say thank you" Mitchie said, finishing as she looked over at the boys. She could see that every inch of their attention was on her. Taking a deep breath, Mitchie started to strum the guitar

_You have my heart_

_And we'll never be worlds apart_

_May be in magazines_

_But you'll still be my star_

_Baby cause in the dark_

_You can't see shiny cars_

_And that's when you need me there_

_With you I'll always share_

_Because_

_When the sun shines, we'll shine together_

_Told you I'll be here forever_

_Said I'll always be a friend_

_Took an oath I'ma stick it out till the end_

_Now that it's raining more than ever_

_Know that we'll still have each other_

_You can stand under my umbrella_

_You can stand under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)_

Mitchie took this moment to look at the boys. She smiled at the look of awe on their faces. Everyone else was slowly swaying to the music, letting it wash over them.

_These fancy things, will never come in between_

_You're part of my entity, here for Infinity_

_When the war has took it's part_

_When the world has dealt it's cards_

_If the hand is hard, together we'll mend your heart_

_Because_

_When the sun shines, we'll shine together_

_Told you I'll be here forever_

_Said I'll always be a friend_

_Took an oath I'ma stick it out till the end_

_Now that it's raining more than ever_

_Know that we'll still have each other_

_You can stand under my umbrella_

_You can stand under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)_

_You can run into my arms_

_It's OK don't be alarmed_

_Come here to me_

_There's no distance in between our love_

_So go on and let the rain pour_

_I'll be all you need and more_

_Because_

_When the sun shines, we'll shine together_

_Told you I'll be here forever_

_Said I'll always be a friend_

_Took an oath I'ma stick it out till the end_

_Now that it's raining more than ever_

_Know that we'll still have each other_

_You can stand under my umbrella_

_You can stand under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh)_

_Under my umbrella_

_(Ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)_

_It's raining_

_Ooh baby it's raining_

_Baby come here to me_

_Come here to me_

_It's raining_

_Oh baby it's raining _

Mitchie gave the guitar a final strum. Everyone in the room exploded into an applause. Mitchie smiled as she stood up. Caitlyn made her way through everyone before she tackled Mitchie in a hug.

"That was amazing!" she said.

"Mitchie that was beautiful" Lucy said as she walked over to Mitchie.

"Thanks" Mitchie said. "I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't met those three."

"Well I can honestly say that I have never seen Shane so happy like when he is with you" Mitchie blushed at the comment.

"I haven't done that much"

"Don't be ridiculous" came Jason's voice from behind the girls. All three spun around to see Shane, Nate and Jason standing behind them.

"What did you think?" Mitchie asked, suddenly nervous as to what they would think. Lucy quietly snuck away bring in a tray of hot chocolate for everyone.

"That was amazing Mitchie" Nate said.

"It was beautiful" Jason said. "Thank you" Mitchie grinned at the boys before she looked up at Shane.

"I loved it" he said. He may not have said a lot but to Mitchie, that comment meant the world to her. Mitchie grinned as she wrapped her arms around Shane's waist. She watched as Nate and Caitlyn whispered 'Merry Christmas' to each other before sharing a quick kiss.

"Who wants hot chocolate?" Lucy asked as she stepped back into the living room. Every single person in the room quickly flocked over to the table where Lucy had placed the tray. The doorbell sounded and the girls watched as Jason walked away to answer it.

"Don't be shy girls. Come and grab a cup" Nate's mum, Anna, said to the girls.

"You'd better hurry if you want some. Most of the kids come back for seconds" Shane said to Mitchie. Mitchie smiled and followed Shane over to the table. Caitlyn and Nate trailed behind.

"Where did Jason go?" Caitlyn asked.

"He went to get the door" Nate said as he grabbed himself a cup. Caitlyn grabbed a cup and inhaled the scent of the chocolate. Her eyes drifted upward and she saw Jason re-entering the living room. She thought nothing of it until she saw who was behind him. The gasp coming from Mitchie confirmed that Caitlyn wasn't seeing things. The cup of hot chocolate slipped out of her hands. The crash caused everyone in the room to look at her but all that Caitlyn was looking at was her brother standing only a few short steps away from her.

* * *

**I'm sorry that this chapter is short but i wanted to get something up for you. I hope you liked it :)**

**I have got more drama planned for their christmas day... this isn't all of it. **

**xx**


	36. Chapter 36 Christmas Day Part 2

**It's finally here! The chapter you have been waiting for!**

* * *

**Chapter 36 - Christmas Day pt 2**

_Previously_

"_Where did Jason go?" Caitlyn asked. _

"_He went to get the door" Nate said as he grabbed himself a cup. Caitlyn grabbed a cup and inhaled the scent of the chocolate. Her eyes drifted upward and she saw Jason re-entering the living room. She thought nothing of it until she saw who was behind him. The gasp coming from Mitchie confirmed that Caitlyn wasn't seeing things. The cup of hot chocolate slipped out of her hands. The crash caused everyone in the room to look at her but all that Caitlyn was looking at was her brother standing only a few short steps away from her. _

Not a word was spoken during that next 30 seconds. Everyone could obviously sense that this was a surprise that the girls were least expecting.

"Jake?" Caitlyn questioned, to make sure that this wasn't all just a dream.

"In the flesh" Jake said with a grin. Caitlyn let out a squeal before she ran into her brother's arms.

"I can't believe you're actually here"

"Well believe it" Jake said with a laugh as he spun Caitlyn around.

"But how?"

"You can ask these boys here" Jake said as he turned around to look at Nate, Shane and Jason.

"You guys did this?" Mitchie asked, finally managing to find her voice. Jake grinned as he moved to hug Mitchie. Once Jake had wrapped his arms, Mitchie couldn't help the few tears that fell from her eyes. Jake felt his shirt getting wet and he looked down at Mitchie in alarm.

"What's wrong Mitch?" he asked. Shane watched as Mitchie clung to her "brother"

"She missed you" Mitchie whispered and Jake sighed. Connie had become his and Caitlyn's adopted mum.

"I missed her too" Jake said. Caitlyn realised what they were talking about and moved to join their hug.

"When exactly was all this organised?" Lucy questioned as they all watched the scene in front of them.

"A few days ago" Shane admitted with a laugh.

"It was very last minute" Jason said.

"But why? I mean, this is a huge thing to do for some girls that you've only known a short while"

"We don't know really" Nate said as he continued to watch the girls. He could tell that they couldn't have wished for anything better for christmas. Nate was knocked out of this thoughts as Caitlyn jumped on him.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I can't tell you enough how much this means to me!" she said. Nate laughed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"It was nothing"

"This is not nothing"

"I agree with Caitlyn" Mitchie said as she walked over. "This is a big deal to us and you know it"

"Yea…. well…" Shane started but stopped when he realised that he didn't have anything to defend himself. Everyone in the room laughed. Mitchie moved over and hugged Shane.

"Thank you" she whispered to him. Shane just smiled as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Once all the excitement had settled down, everyone went off to their rooms to get ready for the day. Mitchie and Caitlyn delayed this so as that they could catch up with Jake for a awhile.

"So it appears that I have missed a lot while I've been away" Jake said with a smile. The girls looked at each other.

"You wouldn't believe half of the things if we told you" Mitchie said.

"Try me" Jake pressed, looking back and forth between the girls.

"Well what do you know?" Caitlyn asked.

"Well, I know about Connie and I know about how the boys allowed you to stay with them. I know that they performed to help raise money and that they helped me to come home for Christmas. What have I missed?"

"Well I don't suppose you know about Mitchie performing with the boys and then performing solo. I don't think you know exactly how we met the boys" Caitlyn said with a sly look over at Mitchie. Mitchie narrowed her eyes at Caitlyn.

"You also don't know about how close Caitlyn has gotten with Nate" Mitchie said.

"That's easy enough to figure out" Jake said with a laugh. Caitlyn glared at her brother. "Hey, at least I haven't gone up to interrogate him and ask him what his intentions are for the future with you" Jake defended himself. Caitlyn blushed while Mitchie laughed. "Same goes for you to Mitch" Jake said and Mitchie stopped laughing.

"Well when you get a girlfriend, she's gonna receive the same treatment from us that you give the boys" Caitlyn said. "It's only fair" Jake laughed and nodded his head.

"Deal. So tell me the story of how you met the boys" Jake said as he made himself comfortable. Mitchie blushed while Caitlyn immediately leapt into the story, making sure that she didn't leave anything out. They both went on to explain what had happened with Mitchie and her dad, her performance and what the boys had done for Mitchie.

"Wow" Jake said afterwards. "I should have been here for you two"

"It's not your fault Jake" Caitlyn said. "You had no way of getting here and everything was happening so fast as well"

"But still, I'm your older brother, for both of you. I should have been here for you"

"But you're here now" Mitchie said.

"Come on. You're here for Christmas. It's what we both were wishing for. Now let's go and get ready and see what this day has in store for us"

"That reminds me" Jake said as he walked over to where his bag had been dropped. He opened it and pulled out to similarly wrapped presents. "Merry christmas to my two favourite sisters" He said. The girls laughed.

"We're you're only sisters" Caitlyn said. "And one's not even related to you!"

"Mitchie is as much my sister as you are, just as Connie was our replacement mum" Jake said softly.

"And you two were the siblings I never had" Mitchie said as she sat down to open her present. After tearing away the wrapping, both girls were shocked to find that Jake had given them small music boxes.

"Jake…" Caitlyn trailed off as she stared at the small box in her hand. Jake smiled.

"I had them made for you. When you open it, it plays the lullaby that Connie used to sing to all of us"

"But how?" Mitchie asked. The little music box was gold with music notes scattered along it. Their names had been engraved on the lid.

"It doesn't matter how" Jake said with a smile. "Merry christmas" The girls jumped up and hugged Jake.

"Thank you and merry Christmas" they both said.

* * *

Hours later, once everyone was ready, more family members started to arrive for lunch. Mitchie, Caitlyn and Jake stood off to the side as they watched people appear everywhere within the house. In all the commotion, the girls had lost sight of the boys and they didn't try and weave their way through everyone for fear of losing each other.

"This is so much bigger than our normal christmas" Caitlyn commented to Mitchie as they watched people walking everywhere. Mitchie snorted.

"Ya think? We only had 4 people for our Christmas for half the time!" Jake laughed.

"Well this certainly is different to what we are used to"

"There you guys are" Jason said as he walked over. "We've been looking for you for ages"

"Feeling a bit overwhelmed?" Shane asked as he went to stand next to Mitchie. Mitchie nodded.

"There are so many people here"

"It gets like that" Nate said. "But you'll eventually get used to it"

"It might take me a while" Caitlyn said as she smiled at people walking by.

"Come with me" Nate said as he grabbed Caitlyn's hand. "I want to introduce you to some people" Mitchie, Shane, Jason and Jake watched as Caitlyn's face showed nervousness as she followed Nate.

"I've never seen her that nervous" Mitchie commented with a laugh.

"She has reason to be" Jason said. "Some of the aunts and uncles here can be pretty tough when it comes to new people"

"She should be fine. Stop scaring them Jase" Shane said with a grin.

"I still feel for her" Mitchie said.

"You do realise that you're going to be doing the same thing eventually" Shane said to Mitchie.

"Can't we just hide away from everyone?" Mitchie jokingly asked. The boys laughed.

"It's not that bad. Man up Mitch" Jake said as he crossed his arms. Mitchie glared at Jake before walking away.

"So how long have you guys known each other?" Jason asked. Jake thought for a moment.

"I don't know exactly. Mitchie and Caitlyn have been friends for as long as I can remember. After our mum died, Connie took us in quite a bit until I was old enough to get a job to help support myself and Caitlyn if we weren't at their house. After a few years we just adopted each other as our family. We spend every birthday, holiday, special events together"

"Wow" Jason said.

"Yea" Shane said softly as he looked over around at his family. There was only one more thing that would make this Christmas good. Looking over at Mitchie, Shane smiled when he saw her conversing with his family. She looked over at him and smiled before returning to the conversation she was having.

* * *

They carried on as it does on Christmas. Everyone would catch up with each other, meet the new people and place gifts that they have brought with them under the tree. They would all then move into the dining hall for a late lunch and talk with whomever you were seated next to. Lucy had been kind enough to place Nate, Shane, Jason, Mitchie, Caitlyn and Jake together at the end of the table with a few scattered cousins close by. By the looks on the boys faces, Lucy could tell that this was becoming their favourite christmas. After lunch everyone would go in their separate ways to spend some time with each other while the adults went into the living room for coffee before the presents were given out. The boys had quickly made a claim on the gazebo outside before anyone else got there. Bundled up in coats, gloves, scarves and hats, the group talked about anything and everything that came to mind. More stories were told about childhood memories as well as some of the more embarrassing things that everyone did at some stage. Jake found out that Caitlyn had told everyone about when he was dancing along to Beyonce and was told a more detailed version of how Mitchie and Caitlyn met the boys. Jason once kept a dog hidden in his basement for 2 weeks when he was younger after he found it wandering the streets. Nate used to be a bully in pre school until he was told off by a girl who went on to become his best friend for the next week before they never spoke to each other again. Shane told Caitlyn and Jake about his brother and some of the mischief that they used to get up to. Caitlyn told the boys about how she once stormed out of a school assembly after a teacher told her school was not a fashion show so there was no need for the outrageous clothes that she wore. Mitchie told stories about the adventures she had with her mum when they would get bored on weekends. Jake mainly told stories about England and what he could remember when Caitlyn and Mitchie were little. Over time, some of the boys cousins and siblings joined them outside. There were plenty of laughs and many pictures taken that afternoon. All too soon, Lucy came out to call everyone inside to open some more presents. Mitchie, Jake and Caitlyn took over a seat and smiled as they watched everyone receive their gifts. They were more than surprised when they received more themselves.

"We're just welcoming you to the family" one of little girls said before she ran off to sit with her mum. The girls smiled to themselves. Little did they know that the night was going to get a lot more interesting.

* * *

**I do hope to get the next chapter up soon and then finish this story. It is coming to an end in the next few chapters unfortunately. **


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey guys, I'm sure you are all getting a little sick of me saying sorry for the long delay in posting these chapters and i'm going to say it again :p I'm sorry that this has taken me a while. I've had a case of writers block in trying to start bringing this story to a close. It is coming soon. There also won't be an update until the end of September as I am leaving for America tomorrow morning and there won't be a lot of time for me to sit down and write a chapter. Anyway, enjoy this one. **

* * *

**Chapter 37**

As everyone was sitting around opening their presents, Lucy asked Mitchie and Caitlyn to come and help her serve out some hot chocolate. The girls learnt that hot chocolate was always served before the dessert was brought out. It had become a tradition that the boys had started when they were younger.

"How are you girls finding today?" Lucy asked as she stirred the ingredients for the hot chocolate together in a large pot.

"It's definitely been an unforgettable day" Mitchie said as she handed Lucy some more milk.

"It's feels so nice to have someone special to spend the day with" Caitlyn said with a soft smile. She looked over at Mitchie and saw that she was wearing an identical smile.

"I've liked having a few extra girls around the house. And I know that the boys have loved it too" Lucy pointed out.

"Jason said before that he wants to try and catch me and Nate under the mistletoe" Caitlyn said with a laugh.

"It's funny, he said the same thing to me" Mitchie said with a grin.

"You should watch the younger kids. They love getting kisses on the cheeks from the boys" Lucy said. The girls "awwed" at this.

"I seriously think we should try and get Shane and Mitchie under that mistletoe" Caitlyn said with sly look as she ducked away from Mitchie. Mitchie just smiled and blushed as she tried to take a swipe at her friend.

"So what is going with you and Shane?" Lucy asked with a knowing look. Mitchie flushed a deeper red.

"We both know how we feel about each other and he did kiss me. Twice in fact. He's told me that we can go as slow as I want due to everything that has happened"

"Do you want it to go slowly though?" Caitlyn queried. Mitchie looked at Caitlyn and hesitated before she answered.

"I'm not sure. I mean I wanted to go slowly at first but Shane's just being so nice about everything and I can tell that he would like things to move a little faster than they are"

"You've made quite an impact on him dear" Lucy said. "It's been so long since I've seen Shane like this"

"Same with Mitchie" Caitlyn said. "Shane's finally been able to bring her out of her shell"

"All because of a dare" Mitchie said with a laugh. Lucy just smiled.

"Well you know what they say. Love can find you in the strangest of circumstances"

"Love?" the girls said with wide eyes. Lucy laughed at the girls reactions.

"I've seen the way you two look at each other" Lucy said. "It's not that hard to miss"

"But we haven't…" Mitchie trailed off as she tried to find the right words to say.

"I know that you two may be taking things slowly because of what's happened recently but there is no hiding how you two feel about each other"

"Mitchie's in looove!" Caitlyn sang with a wide grin.

"I'm not just talking about Mitchie dear" Lucy said, laughing as Caitlyn stopped what she was doing and a bright blush took over her face.

"What's taking you guys so long in here?" Jason asked as he slowly walked into the kitchen.

"It's an area of conversation among the female type Jason" Lucy said. "We're just talking while we wait for the hot chocolate to warm up"

"That doesn't explain though why the girls have gone red" Jason pointed out as he looked over at Mitchie and Caitlyn.

"We aren't that red" Mitchie said.

"You two are as bright as a tomato" Jason said with a laugh.

"We were just talking about how easy it is to see how these girls feel about Shane and Nate" Lucy said. The girl's mouths dropped. They were not expecting Lucy to come straight out and tell Jason what they had been talking about.

"Very easy" Jason said. "You two light up whenever the other boys are around"

"Surely Nate and Shane are the same?" Mitchie asked. Jason laughed as he nodded.

"Very much the same. They never want to stop talking about you guys. One of Shane's cousins asked him if you two were engaged"

"Engaged!" Mitchie exclaimed. "We're not even officially going out yet"

"I told you so" Lucy said with a smile. "Kids look at what they see"

"And they see you two being engaged" Caitlyn said with a laugh.

"Maybe one day" Mitchie said with a sly smile. Caitlyn squealed and launched herself at Mitchie.

"I call dibs on maid of honour!"

"Aren't you guys getting a little too far ahead of yourselves?" Jason asked as he watched the highly amusing scene before him.

"Jason, didn't you know that a girl starts planning her wedding from a very early age?" Lucy asked.

"Whose wedding?" Shane's voice suddenly asked as he and Nate walked into the kitchen. It was at that point that Caitlyn, Lucy and Jason all looked over at Mitchie. Shane and Nate noticed this and looked over to see that Mitchie had gone quite red.

"Do we want to know what's been going on in here?" Nate asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Eh it's not that bad" Caitlyn said with a shrug.

"So how about that hot chocolate?" Mitchie asked in a desperate attempt to deter the conversation away from her. Caitlyn and Lucy laughed as they began to serve up the hot chocolates. The boys just looked on, wondering what they had missed.

"Jason?" Nate asked. Jason just shrugged and grinned before walking out. He enjoyed being in the loop while Shane and Nate had no idea of what was going on.

"Anyone?" Shane asked.

"Drop it Shane" Lucy said with a smile. "Unless we tell you, it's not worth bugging us" Shane grumbled something under his breath before following Jason back out to where everyone else was.

"He doesn't like not being in the loop" Caitlyn observed.

"Is it that obvious?" Lucy teasingly asked.

"It's not that hard to miss" Mitchie said with a laugh.

"Well let's get this hot chocolate out to everyone. I'm sure that this conversation will continue later on" Lucy said with a smile as she started to walk out with a tray full of mugs. Mitchie and Caitlyn followed suit and carried trays out to everyone.

"Finally" Nate said. "You girls spend too much time talking"

"It's inbuilt" Caitlyn defended. "Got a problem with it?" she asked as a hand was placed on her hip.

"No" Nate said in a quiet voice, causing everyone around him to laugh. They hadn't ever seen Nate fearful of a girl before.

"Good" Caitlyn said as she walked away. As she turned, Mitchie and Shane caught the smile trying to fight its way onto her face. Nate suddenly sprung up and grabbed Caitlyn by the wrist.

"You're not mad at me are you?" he asked.

"No" Caitlyn said with a laugh. "I was just messing with you" Nate visibly let out a breath.

"Don't like it when Caitlyn gets mad at you Nate?" Mitchie asked with a smile.

"Heck no" Nate answered. "I don't know what she would do to me"

"Nate's already scared of his girlfriend" Shane teased.

"I am….not" Nate said, getting ready to defend himself but after seeing everyone's faces he quickly gave in.

"I'm not that bad" Caitlyn said. Mitchie gave her a pointed look. "All the time"

"Oh please" Mitchie said. "I've never seen anyone with your temper"

"Can it compete with Shane's?" Jason asked.

"We'd have to test that out one day" Nate said. "I honestly don't know"

"Conversation aside, you two do realise that you have been standing under the mistletoe?" Jason pointed out. Everyone in the room looked upwards at the little sprig of mistletoe hanging from the roof. Before Caitlyn could say anything, Nate had leant down and gently kissed her which gained some awing from everyone in the room. When they pulled apart, the smile could not be wiped from Caitlyn's face as she walked back into the kitchen with an empty tray.

"You certainly have an effect on her" Mitchie said. Nate just grinned before walking away.

"They are an odd pair" Shane mused as he sat down beside Mitchie.

"They compliment each other well though with their differing personalities as well as similar interests" Mitchie said. "They're a good match"

"We're better" Shane said quietly and Mitchie couldn't help but blush at the comment. Their conversation continued in this way, talking quietly amongst themselves for almost an hour. They spoke about anything and everything including Mitchie's new position with the boys on tour.

* * *

"Shane. Mitchie. Would you mind clearing away some of the dishes around you please?" Lucy came in and asked. Shane and Mitchie nodded before standing up.

"Not again" Jason said as he looked up from a conversation with some of the little kids. Again everyone in the room looked up to see Shane and Mitchie standing underneath the mistletoe. Shane laughed softly while Mitchie just smiled.

"They're gonna find out sooner or later" Shane whispered to her. Mitchie simply nodded before Shane kissed her. A few people in the room were not expecting this due to the gasps that could be heard. One gasp in particular grabbed the attention of Shane and Jason.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Shane looked up to see who had asked the question and was left speechless after seeing his older brother Tyson standing there.

* * *

**I'm sorry that this is short and I'm also sorry for any mistakes that are in there. It's almost 3 in the morning and I'm not really registering a lot haha. More shall come in a few months and I hope you like this cliffhanger :p**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hi Guys! Well I'm back and determined to finish this story for you. Thank you to everyone recently who has been giving me a push to finish this. I hope that everyone who has read this from the start will follow this story to the end :) The end is near. I promise! haha. Anyway enjoy and I am so very sorry for making you wait so long.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 38**

The silence that followed was almost deafening. A pin being dropped could have been heard throughout the room as everyone stared at the new addition. Lucy snuck a glance at Shane to see that he currently held no emotion on his face. Caitlyn felt Nate take hold of her hand and pull her closer to him.

"Who is that?" she whispered.

"That's Shane's older brother Tyson. No one has seen him in a while"

"That explains why everything feels so awkward" Caitlyn said and she looked up to see Nate nodding while never taking his eyes off Tyson.

"I'm positive that this isn't how you greet family for christmas" Tyson said as he took a couple of steps forward.

"Since when were you considering yourself family?" Shane asked, finally speaking up.

"Do we not have the same mom?" Tyson asked. "Are we not related by blood?"

"You are no brother of mine" Shane said in an even voice.

"I know that. I've watched the interviews" replied Tyson. "Why would you lie about me like that? To an entire country"

"Because like it or not, I have been trying very hard to forget about you. You left without telling us where you were. Mom and I searched and searched but every trace of you seemed to just disappear. I couldn't believe that you could just leave us like that and I was so angry that I just denied having any family apart from mom."

"And you kicked me out like that?" Tyson asked as he walked further into the room.

"You were able to just kick us out like that?" Shane challenged.

"I left because I was disappointing you and mom"

"And you thought that we wouldn't want any contact from you at all? Mom was worried sick. She had no idea if something had happened to you, if you were still alive or even still in the country!"

"I'm sorry alright! That's why I came back. I wanted to apologise to you and mom for running like that. I've hated my life away from you guys but I couldn't bear returning and being turned away. I know I've made stupid decisions in my life and running away was by far the biggest one. Can you please forgive me?" Tyson asked, his voice sounding genuine. Shane took a deep breath. He looked away from his brother and sighed.

"I can't deal with this right now" Shane whispered before walking around Tyson and leaving the room. Tyson watched as his younger brother walked away from him.

"I knew it was a long shot anyway" Tyson said as everyone in the room looked at him. Mitchie stood there not knowing what to do or being able to process what had just happened. Lucy stood up and walked over to her son. She looked at him a moment before bringing him into her embrace.

"How I've missed you" she whispered. Tyson smiled as he hugged his mom back.

"I've missed you too"

"Shane just needs some time" Lucy said as she pulled back. "He hasn't dealt very well with you not being here."

"I've gathered that"

"Well it is Christmas. Shane may want to restart everything with you" Tyson smiled as his mom's attempt to cheer him up.

"Well I'm not leaving until I've gotten his forgiveness" Tyson said strongly. Nate and Jason smiled before eventually moving to say hello. Caitlyn moved over to Mitchie's side and the two watched everything unfold.

"Well this has been exciting" Caitlyn whispered to Mitchie. Mitchie nodded.

"I have no idea what I was expecting today but this was nowhere near what I thought" Mitchie said with a small laugh.

"Mitchie?" Lucy called. Mitchie looked up and saw Lucy walking over to her.

"Yes?"

"Can you go and check on Shane for me? See if you can talk some sense into him?" Lucy asked. Mitchie looked at her.

"Oh...um...I just thought that I should stay out of this." Mitchie stammered over her words. She only had a brief background on what had happened and was content to stay out of the families way.

"Nonsense" Lucy said. "You are part of Shane's life and right now you are probably the only person who can make him see reason. Even Nate and Jason wouldn't be able to get through to him" Mitchie looked over at Nate and Jason and saw them nodding.

"It's true" Jason said. "We've tried to tell Shane to not give up on his brother but he just won't listen to us"

"He may just listen to you though" Nate said.

"But what if it makes him angry or annoyed?" Mitchie asked.

"Then he will have me to answer to" Lucy said firmly. She sighed when she saw Mitchie's face. "Just try and talk to him, please?" Mitchie hesitated, took a deep breath and nodded.

"I guess I can try and talk to him" she said. Lucy smiled.

"He's most likely out the back"

"Okay" Mitchie said as she made her way out of the room. She spared a glance at Tyson and was not expecting to see him looking at her. He gave her a small smile before she disappeared out the door.

"Who is that?" Tyson asked once Mitchie had left the room.

"You could almost say Shane's girlfriend" Jason said with a smile. Tyson raised an eyebrow

"Almost girlfriend?" he asked.

"Well they haven't known each other very long and he hasn't actually asked her yet" Jason answered.

"How did they meet?" Tyson asked, his eyes settling on Caitlyn. "And who are you?" Caitlyn, Nate and Jason smiled at each other.

"Well it started with this dare" Caitlyn started and everyone in the room made themselves comfortable as Caitlyn launched into the story.

Mitchie walked down the hallway and came to a stop at the door. She looked out the window to see Shane sitting on the porch steps. Taking a deep breath, Mitchie opened the door and walked over to Shane.

"I'm not in the mood for company" Shane said, not even glancing back to see who had come out.

"Sor...sorry" Mitchie mumbled before she turned around to walk back inside. Shane turned around and saw Mitchie.

"Mitchie wait" he said. Mitchie stopped and looked at him. "Stay?" he asked.

"Are you sure?" Mitchie asked. Shane nodded and Mitchie came and sat down beside him. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Shane sighed.

"I don't know what to do" he said. Mitchie smiled sadly at him. "I mean I'm so angry with him but he's actually come home and now asking for forgiveness. I never thought I would see him again and now he's here. We're in the same house again"

"You have a chance to change things around Shane."

"But what if I don't want things to change?"

"I think you're just comfortable in your life now. Change never hurt anyone" Mitchie said with a smile.

"I know it's just that, I always rehearsed in my mind what I would say to Tyson if he ever returned. I didn't count it would happen so soon"

"But it has happened and you have the chance to show your brother the man that you have become"

"But I don't want to" Shane whined. Mitchie laughed softly at him.

"Now you are just being stubborn"

"It makes me who I am" Shane said with a smile. He stood up with a sigh and extended his hand to Mitchie. "Shall we do this?"

"Let's" Mitchie said as she placed her hand in Shane's. They both started to walk into the house when Shane stopped walking and gently tugged on Mitchie's hand.

"Thank you" Shane said as he gazed at Mitchie. Mitchie smiled as a faint blush covered her cheeks.

"It was nothing" Mitchie said softly.

"I'm serious. I would have completely disregarded my brother if it hadn't been for you"

"I'm sure you would have gotten around to it eventually" Mitchie replied. Shane smiled at her as he stepped forward and took hold of her hands.

"Not without your help Mitch" Shane said. "You've completed changed my life around and I don't know how I can ever thank you for that. I know that there is probably no point in asking you but," Shane paused in his sentence to look at Mitchie. She was looking up at him with a smile on her face as if she knew what he was about to ask her. A smirk crossed Shane's face.

"I wanted to know if you would be willing to grab me a drink?" The surprised look that crossed Mitchie's face caused Shane to erupt in laughter. Mitchie shook her head.

"You jerk" she said as she laughed along with Shane. Taking a deep breath, Shane stopped laughing and smiled at Mitchie.

"Yes, but I am apparently your jerk" Shane said. He stepped forward and leaned his forehead against Mitchie's. "Be my girlfriend?" Mitchie hesitated a moment before she opened her mouth.

"I…"

"I know this is all new for you so we'll continue to take it slowly but I want you to be mine Mitchie." Shane interrupted. "We've only known each other for a few weeks but I honestly can't imagine my life without you in it now. I want to erase those memories you have from school and treat you like you deserve to be treated. I want to spoil you and love you and show everyone how lucky I am to have someone like you by my side. Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked again. Mitchie stared at Shane and couldn't help the smile that lit up her face.

"You want to love me?" she asked timidly. Shane leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss upon Mitchie's lips.

"That I do" Shane replied. "So what do you say? Do you think you could let someone like me into your heart?"

"I don't think there's any way that I could refuse. You've already found a place in there Shane" Mitchie said. "So my answer is yes" The ending of the sentence came out as a squeal as Shane lifted Mitchie into the air and twirled her around. Still holding Mitchie in his arms, Shane kissed her again. Mitchie brought her hands up to cup Shane's face as she smiled into the kiss. Breaking apart Shane set Mitchie back on the ground.

"Your mom's going to see this coming" Mitchie said with a laugh.

"Everyone will" Shane said. He once again extended his hand out and Mitchie took hold of it. "Shall we?"

"We shall" Mitchie said as the two made their way back inside.

After making their way back inside, Shane beckoned Tyson over and the two went off to talk. "You two were out there an awefully long time" Caitlyn commented to Mitchie as the two made themselves comfortable in front of the fire. Caitlyn nestled back against Nate who was sitting behind her while Jason sat next to Mitchie.

"We were just talking" Mitchie replied with a smile.

"What happened?" Jason asked as he looked at Mitchie. Mitchie blushed under the gazes of everyone and ducked her head.

"He asked me to be his girlfriend" she said after a moments pause. Caitlyn screamed before tackling Mitchie to the ground. Nate and Jason laughed at the two.

"He finally did it" Nate commented while Mitchie rolled her eyes.

"Yes he finally did it and it was perfect" Mitchie said.

"He could have asked you out standing beside a scrap bin and our hopelessly romantic Mitchie would have still thought it to be perfect" Caitlyn teased.

"Mine was perfect and your's was cliche" Mitchie retorted with a laugh. Caitlyn smiled and looked back at Nate.

"Yeah and it was perfectly fine for me" Caitlyn said as she nestled back against Nate and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

"So what happens now?" Mitchie asked after a moments silence.

"We relax until new years and then start preparing for our tour" Jason said

"And we really get to come?" Caitlyn asked.

"Of course" Nate said.

"Who's going where?" Jake asked as he came and sat down with the group.

"We're going on tour with the boys" Mitchie said with a smile. The look of surprise that Jake's face held caused everyone to laugh.

"You're telling me the truth?"

"Would we lie to you Jake?" Caitlyn asked. Jake looked at his sister and raised his eyebrow.

"Do you really want me to answer that question?"

"Umm maybe not" Caitlyn said as she thought back to her childhood. Mitchie laughed before glancing back to where Shane and Tyson were talking.

"They'll be fine Mitchie" Jason said with a smile. Mitchie turned to him.

"I know, I just…..i know" she finally said.

"Brothers fight but they're still brothers" Nate said. "Shane will be stubborn for a while about it before he gives it all up and forgives his brother" Mitchie nodded while glancing back at the boys.

It was nearing midnight by the time Shane and Tyson returned to the room. Caitlyn and Nate had retreated to an armchair and were talking quietly with each other. Jake and Jason were laying by the fire playing a game of scrabble. A smile made its way across Shane's face as his gaze landed on a sleeping Mitchie. She was curled up on the sofa, blanket brought up to her chin and a peaceful look on her face. Tyson looked at his brother and saw where he was looking.

"You're lucky to have found her" he whispered. Shane looked at his brother.

"I don't deserve to have someone like her in my life" Shane replied before making his way over to her. Tyson watched as his brother whispered something in Mitchie's ear before she slowly moved and allowed Shane to snuggle up with her. Shane sat up while Mitchie rested her head in his lap. Mitchie said something to Shane which caused him to smile and press a kiss to her forehead. Mitchie sighed before closing her eyes again and drifted back off to sleep while Shane ran his fingers through her hair.

"You've never seen your brother like this have you?" Jason asked Tyson quietly. Tyson tore his gaze away from Shane and Mitchie to look at Jason and Jake lying on the floor.

"It's unusual to see" Tyson commented.

"Unusual yes but something we hope to see for a long time" Jason said with a smile. Tyson nodded as he looked back over at his brother.

"Well I'm going to head off to bed. Goodnight" Tyson said as he walked out of the room.

"Goodnight" Jason and Jake replied. Tyson closed the door to the living room and sighed. He had a long way to go before things could be normal with Shane but at least this was a start. He only hoped that the new year would bring about new beginnings for him and his family.

* * *

And that is the end of that Chapter. The next one shall be up soon :)


	39. Chapter 39 - The End

So it's finally the end of this story! I can't believe I've actually finished it. I'm really sorry for the wait. Thank you to everyone who has followed from the start. I would mention you but there are a lot haha. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I dedicate it to all of you :D

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Chapter 39 - The End

Christmas had come and gone and suddenly it was New Years Eve. There was still a tense air around Shane and Tyson as they got used to being around each other again. Nate and Caitlyn often took the chance to go on walks together while the weather was nice. Jason and Jake could be found have quite in depth conversations about topics that no one ever really ventured to find out. Mitchie and Shane could be found writing together as they prepared for the upcoming tour. Tyson spent his time catching up with his mom and learning more as to how Mitchie and Caitlyn had joined the group.

"So what's the deal for tonight?" Caitlyn asked while the group were sitting by the fire.

"Hopefully the weather will be alright tonight to go and watch the fireworks from the park" Jason said.

"That sounds like fun" Mitchie said with a smile.

"New Years Eve is always fun" Shane said as he placed his arm around Mitchie's shoulders.

"It's an excuse to party. Of course you think its fun" Mitchie teased while the others laughed.

"Yeah whatever" Shane mumbled.

**-(Break)-**

As the group made their way to the park to watch the fireworks for New Years Eve, Mitchie couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. Now that she was official with Shane, Mitchie knew that he would kiss her at midnight but that wasn't what she was worried about. The stroke of midnight would signal a new year that Mitchie would be starting without her mom there with her. The traditions held throughout the year would be no more. There was no one to speak Spanish with in the morning. No one to taste test the cooking. There was no more Connie in their lives. This alone caused Mitchie to stop walking as the thought hit Mitchie full on. She no longer had a mom. Her dad could almost be nonexistent but Mitchie did not count him as family. Her mom was her family. It was always Connie and Mitchie with Caitlyn thrown in every now and again. Shane, who had been holding Mitchie's hand, felt the tug which told him Mitchie had stopped walking. Shane turned around to question her but the words died on his lips as he saw her face. Mitchie's eyes had gone glossy and her face had gone pale. Shane would say that she almost looked sick.

"Mitch?" Shane questioned softly. "What's wrong?" Caitlyn, Nate, Jason and Jake who had been walking up ahead had heard Shane speak and turned around to see what was wrong. They saw Mitchie open and close her mouth multiple times like she couldn't find the words to say.

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn said as she stepped forward.

"Nothing is ever going to be the same" Mitchie whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"We're….we're not…" Mitchie stopped talking as a few tears slipped out of her eyes. Shane, Caitlyn and Jake became alarmed.

"Talk to us Mitchie" Jake said. Mitchie nodded and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"This will be the start of a new year without my mom"

"Oh Mitch" Caitlyn said before engulfing her best friend in a hug. Shane stepped back as a few sobs could be heard. He looked helplessly at Jason and Nate.

"Let's give them some space" Jason whispered as he gestured for Nate and Shane to continue walking towards the park. Shane glanced back at Mitchie before slowly walking away.

"Don't worry Shane" Nate started. "She'll be alright"

"Yeah I know" Shane said softly as he placed his hands in his pockets and continued to walk to the spot where they wanted to set up.

"Here should be good"Jason said as he stopped walking and placed the basket on the ground. Nate took out the picnic rug and set it on the grass.

"The perfect view" Nate commented.

"I dunno, you could do better than this" Caitlyn's voice rang out. The boys turned around to see Mitchie and Caitlyn walking towards them. Shane immediately went to Mitchie.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked softly. Mitchie smiled up at him.

"Yeah I'm fine" Mitchie replied. "Just a moment of weakness"

"You're allowed to have those you know" Shane pointed out as he brushed some of Mitchie's hair out of her face.

"I know" she said before reaching up and gently kissing Shane on the cheek. "Thank you"

"Come on you two love birds. Food's ready" Jake called out with a laugh. Mitchie and Shane smiled as they went and sat down with the rest of the group. For the next few hours until midnight stuck, the group would sit and talk, take over the nearby playground or play random games. The girls sat down and relaxed while the boys took part in a game of football. As midnight drew nearer, everyone made themselves comfortable and joined in the countdown. There was cheering and midnight kisses with fireworks lighting up the sky as the new year officially began.

**-(Break)-**

There was no rest for the group once the new year started. Everyone needed to begin packing for tour rehearsals which were due to start in 3 days. Lucy took Mitchie and Caitlyn out shopping so that they would have some new clothes for the tour as they didn't have many with them.

"You really don't have to do this Lucy" Mitchie said as Lucy handed her another item of clothing.

"Nonsense" Lucy said. "You two could use some new clothes and I'm enjoying this. I've never had a daughter to spoil and take shopping before" Mitchie and Caitlyn glanced at each other when Lucy said daughter.

"But we're-" Caitlyn started to say but Lucy cut her off.

"We may not have known each other very long but in the amount of time that I have known you, I already consider you girls family. And soon enough it will become official" Lucy said with a wink.

"Official?" Mitchie asked.

"A wedding dear"

"Oh" was the only reply that Mitchie could think to come up with. Caitlyn couldn't help but laugh.

"Now enough talking, we've got a limited time before the tour rehearsals start" Lucy said as she got into business mode. Mitchie and Caitlyn followed without question.

"Marriage?" Mitchie asked Caitlyn quietly. "Shane and I have only been official for a week"

"Don't all parents do that though? Once their child starts dating they go straight to wedding thoughts"

"How would I know? Shane's my first boyfriend and my mom, although she suspected something, she'll never know that it became official" Mitchie said

"I'm sure she knows Mitch" Caitlyn said with a smile. Mitchie gave a weak smile in return.

"It's not the same though"

"I know but just think, you're finally doing what your mom knew you had the potential to do. Go on tour and write music. You've gotten that chance to write music and tour with Connect 3. Imagine how proud she would be" Caitlyn said as she hugged her best friend.

"I just wish she could see it all" Mitchie whispered.

"She can. Now let's hurry and catch up to madame boss before she gets any more wedding ideas" Caitlyn said with a laugh. Mitchie couldn't help but laugh also as the two girls ran to catch up to Lucy.

**-(Break)-**

Tour rehearsals were long and tiring. Mitchie had been asked to sing back up on a few songs and the boys had even asked Mitchie to sing Don't Stop Believing with them.

"No way!" Mitchie said with a panicked look across her face.

"But you've sung in front of a crowd before" Jason said.

"Yeah but you are asking me to sing on your TOUR!" Mitchie said.

"It's not that different" Nate said with a shrug and Mitchie looked at him with a helpless look.

"Not that different?"

"Mitchie this is awesome!" Caitlyn said. "Stop freaking out about it"

"But its a tour! Do you all not understand this?" Mitchie cried. Shane stepped up beside her.

"What's really the problem?"

"I've just said it" Mitchie said. "Do you know how many people come to see you on tour? I've only sung in front of people once? What makes you think that they want to hear me again?"

"People are asking for you" Jason said. "Someone posted a video of the concert we did and everyone wants to see you sing again"

"What?"

"It's true Mitch" Jake said. "You officially have a name that people know throughout the country"

"I think I'm about to pass out" Mitchie mumbled as she pulled her hands up to her face.

"Listen Mitch, you're an amazing singer and people want to see you. You don't really want to disappoint them do you?" Shane asked, the smirk on his face proving that he was trying to guilt her into it. Mitchie glared at him.

"You're a cruel person" she said before walking off to the tour manager to organise what she needed to do.

"That wasn't nice" Caitlyn commented with a smile.

"It got her to do it" Shane replied with a laugh. "Beside we all knew that she would eventually give in. She just needed a push"

"She's gonna hate you for this" Jake said as he and Tyson relaxed on the couch. Shane shrugged before he looked over at his brother.

"Hey Tyson, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure" Tyson said as he got off the couch and walked over to his brother. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask if you would like to come on tour with us?" Shane asked.

"You're being serious?" Tyson questioned, wanting to make sure that Shane wasn't playing a joke on him.

"I'm being serious. I want you to come with me and see what this part of my life is like"

"I'd love to" Tyson said with a smile before the two brothers embraced. Nate, Jason, Caitlyn and Jake watched with a smile.

"It's nice to see these two getting along" Jason commented.

"I'm just glad Shane asked Tyson" Nate said.

"You thought Shane wouldn't ask him?" Caitlyn asked. Jason looked at her.

"We weren't sure what was going to happen. Sometimes you can never tell what Shane is going to do" Caitlyn nodded.

"I wonder how Mitchie is going"

"Probably freaking out still" Nate said as he wrapped his arms around Caitlyn's waist. Caitlyn smiled as she leant into him.

"She'll be fine though, right?"

"Mitchie will be in capable hands" Jason said.

The tour started and the girls were buzzing with excitement. They were excited about the places they were going to visit and the people they would meet. Despite Mitchie's earlier fears, she was welcomed with open arms while performing. She even managed to slip in a few new songs that she had written while on the road. Tyson and Jake couldn't believe that they were on tour with Connect 3. The tour allowed Tyson and Shane to rekindle their relationship with each other to the point of Shane being wiling to acknowledge that Tyson was his brother and friend. Caitlyn and Nate's relationship was slow blossoming but it allowed the two to become comfortable with each other and everyday they found themselves falling even harder. Shane and Mitchie's relationship was perfect. Sure they fought but they always made up by the end of the day. The public had caught wind of them and before it got too messy, Shane confirmed it on stage in the middle of their tour. To their surprise, the fans had taken it well seeing as how they loved Mitchie.

Once the tour ended after six months, the boys had surprised Mitchie and Caitlyn with their own flat right near the boys houses. All their belongings had been brought in and everything was set up. It was the perfect way for the girls to start their new lives with the boys and be able to reach and achieve the dreams that were in their hearts.

* * *

**7 Years Later**

Mitchie took a deep breath as she looked at the gates in front of her.

"You want me to come with you?" Shane asked. Mitchie smiled over at him.

"Give me a few minutes?"

"Always" Shane replied. Mitchie nodded as she stepped out of the car. Walking with careful steps, Mitchie made her way over to her mothers grave.

"Hi mom" Mitchie whispered as she knelt down in front of it. She gently placed the flowers that she had in her hand at the foot of the headstone. Mitchie slowly traced the words while she tried to keep her tears at bay.

"I've got some exciting news for you. I know that you knew this would happen Lucy did as well. In fact she was even saying this and Shane and I hadn't been going out for more than two weeks. Anyway, what I came here to tell you is that after a very long wait, Shane finally got down on one knee and proposed. Oh it was beautiful. We were walking through the park when we got caught in a sudden storm. It was bucketing down so we ran to find the nearest shelter. We found a gazebo and decided to wait there until the rain stopped. Even though we were both soaked to the bone, Shane said that this situation suited us perfectly and then he got the ring out and asked if he could pretty please be my husband"

"It wasn't quite like that" Shane interrupted. Mitchie jumped and looked behind her to see Shane standing there. She smirked at him.

"It's close enough" she said.

"I didn't beg you to marry me" Shane said as he stepped forward. Mitchie stood up to meet him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Shane you had the puppy dog eyes on and everything"

"I did no such thing!" Shane cried as he poked Mitchie in her side. Mitchie squealed and jumped away but Shane was too quick. He quickly bundled Mitchie up in his arms while she laughed. Shane couldn't help but smile.

"Alright fine, you didn't beg"

"I was all manly about the whole thing" Shane said while Mitchie rolled her eyes.

"You're a romantic at heart and you know it. Why else have I stuck around for seven years?"

"And here I thought it was because you love me" Shane said with a shake of his head.

"Sadly I cannot help this fact. I do love you" Mitchie said with a sigh. Shane laughed before he captured Mitchie's lips in a kiss.

"And I love you" he whispered as they parted. Mitchie smiled as she tucked her head underneath Shane's chin. They both hugged each other tightly.

"You're mom would be really proud of you" Shane said after a moment. Mitchie looked up at him and smiled.

"I know" she said before bringing Shane's head down to kiss him.

* * *

And that's the end. I hope you enjoyed it and shall be posting other stories soon. If you have seen or heard of the show H20 Just Add Water, I've recently posted a story in that category :)

Peace Out! xoxo


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